Introduction of Autonomous Vehicles and SAE Levels of Driving Automation

Posted on February 12, 2025 in Uncategorized

By By Lance Hendron

An autonomous vehicle, in other words is self-driving car, is a car that is capable of operating with reduced or no human input.¹ In 2014, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), launched SAE J3016 Recommended Practice: Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles, commonly referenced as the SAE Levels of Driving Automation and is the industry's most-cited source for driving automation.²

SAE Levels of Driving Automation define six levels of driving automation that range from no driving automation (Level 0) to full driving automation (Level 5) for motor vehicles and their operation on roadways:

• Level 0: No Driving Automation;
• Level 1: Driver Assistance;
• Level 2: Partial Driving Automation;
• Level 3: Conditional Driving Automation;
• Level 4: High Driving Automation; and
• Level 5: Full Driving Automation.

*** There is currently no such thing as a fully autonomous vehicle (SAE Level 5).³ For vehicles to get to SAE Level 5 they need to be able to drive anywhere on roads without human interaction or limitations.⁴

Robotaxis (SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles) on our Public Roads⁵

While there is currently no fully autonomous vehicle (SAE Level 5), there are Robotaxis currently in use in various states throughout the nation that operate at SAE Level 4. These vehicles do not require any human interaction to drive but can be operated only in limited conditions.

Robotaxis currently in use include Google's Waymo currently operating in California and Amazon's Zoox currently operating in Las Vegas, Nevada.⁶ Such Robotaxis however have not arrived without their share of issues. For instance, General Motors's Cruise, ceased its business operations in part due to an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) because of reported crashes.⁷ In five separate instances, Cruise vehicles were unable to avoid colliding with pedestrians.⁸ Additionally, NHTSA is also looking into dozens of incidents involving Google's Waymo including  “collisions with stationary and semi-stationary objects such as gates and chains, collisions with parked vehicles, and instances in which the ADS appeared to disobey traffic safety control devices.”⁹ Waymon has noted, however, that nearly all these crashes were the fault of other cars driven by human.¹⁰

NHTSA has issued a Standing General Order (the General Order) requiring identified manufacturers and operators to report to the agency certain crashes involving vehicles equipped with automated driving systems.¹¹ However, President Trump's administration is considering dropping the car-crash report requirement.¹² The recommendation to drop the crash-reporting rule came from a transition team tasked with producing a 100-day strategy for automotive policy which the group called the requirement an "excessive" data collection.¹³

The Future of Autonomous Vehicles – Legal and Technological Implications

By 2030, SAE Level 3 vehicles are expected to account for 10% of newly launched electric passenger car models.¹⁴ The regulatory environment in various countries is also evolving with European Union and Japan which have implemented regulations for Level 3 autonomous vehicles. China is also working to adopt autonomous technologies in passenger vehicles with plans to implement the Beijing Autonomous Driving Ordinance on April 1, 2025 to regulate Level 3 and higher systems.

In the US, states vary on the implementation of laws pertaining to autonomous vehicles. There are currently nineteen states in the USA that have laws on the books permitting autonomous vehicle operation.¹⁵ There is a great website that provides the laws in various states as it pertains to autonomous vehicles.¹⁶

Lastly, the ongoing development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) also plays a critical role in the development and operation of autonomous vehicles. AI can collect and calculate various data and complex algorithms for autonomous vehicles to determine sensor data processing, path execution, and monitor the vehicle's condition.¹⁷ Thus, although issues of autonomous vehicles certainly exist, the ever-ongoing evolution of technology suggests such means of having a fully self-driving vehicle for transportation seems like a matter of when, and not if.

1 - https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/automated-vehicles-safety
2 - https://www.sae.org/standards/content/https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3016_202104/j3016_202104
3 - Id.
4 - https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/traffic/fully-driverless-taxis-now-on-las-vegas-public-roads-2800295/
5 - https://www.sae.org/blog/sae-j3016-update
6 - https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/auto-industry-embraces-driverless-future-with-robotaxis-229656133917
7 - https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43020700/nhtsa-closes-safety-probe-into-gm-cruise-robotaxis-weeks-after-it-ceased-operations
8 - Id.
9 - https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/14/24156238/waymo-nhtsa-investigation-crash-wrong-side-road
10 - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/multiple-vehicle-crash-in-sf-marks-first-time-driverless-car-involved-in-deadly-collision/ar-AA1xza5z?ocid=BingNewsVerp
11 - https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/standing-general-order-crash-reporting
12 - https://www.aol.com/exclusive-trump-transition-recommends-scrapping-110934066.html
13 - Id.
14 - https://www.trendforce.com/presscenter/news/20250114-12445.html
15 - https://www.bakerdonelson.com/autonomous-vehicle-statutes-and-regulations-across-the-50-states
16 - https://www.bakerdonelson.com/avmap
17 - https://www.embedded.com/the-role-of-artificial-intelligence-in-autonomous-vehicles/

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