Legislation for Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract

Japan's Road Traffic Act was amended on April 27 2022 (Act No.32 of 2022) and the regulation on level 4 driverless automated transportation services was also enacted. The Act classified "operation" without a driver as "specified automated operation" and introduced a permission system in which the implementation of autonomous operation by the automated operation device is monitored by the supervisor of automated guided vehicle (and the specified automated operation chief and the site action implementer). Although specific automated driving is conceptually "driving" and who the driver is should be checked, Japan has little interest in this, and discussions have been more focused on the specific issue of the appropriate scope of specified automated driving. Whether specified automated operation will be permitted for truck platooning on highways and for the operation of cars that belong to individuals is the issue to be examined going forward.