“Automated driving on the way”

The government cabinet has approved a law proposal to enable highly automated driving on German roads. “We are enabling drivers to take their hands off the wheel during highly automated driving, to surf the internet or check e-mails, for example,” said transport minister Alexander Dobrindt. 
The law states that human drivers remain fully liable, however. It also stipulates that it must be possible to deactivate automated systems at all times and will require a “blackbox” to help determine whether an accident was caused by a human or technical error. “This means the driver is not replaced by the system while driving,” according to a press release.

Read the federal government press release in German here and the transport ministry release here.

For background, read the CLEW dossier The Energiewende and German carmakers.