Driving Automation System Uniformity Act

Summary

The purpose of this Act is to preserve the traditional state and local authorities over vehicles and traffic by preempting local ordinances that would prohibit, restrict, or regulate vehicles equipped with driving automation systems on the basis of those vehicles being equipped with driving automation systems.

Driving Automation System Uniformity Act

Driving Automation System Uniformity Act

Section 1. Definitions

(a) “Driving automation system” means hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing part or all of the dynamic driving task on a sustained basis. The term driving automation system is used generically to describe any system capable of level 1-5 driving automation, as specified in SAE International Recommended Practice J3016, including, but not limited to, core vehicle functions as listed in Section 1(b).

(b) “Dynamic driving task” means all of the real-time operational and tactical functions required to operate a vehicle in on-road traffic, excluding the strategic functions such as trip scheduling and selection of destinations and waypoints, and including without limitation:

(1) Lateral vehicle motion control via steering (operational);

(2) Longitudinal vehicle motion control via acceleration and deceleration (operational);

(3) Monitoring the driving environment via object and event detection, recognition, classification, and response preparation (operational and tactical);

(4) Object and event response execution (operational and tactical);

(5) Maneuver planning (tactical); and

(6) Enhancing conspicuity via lighting, signaling and gesturing, etc. (tactical). 

Section 2. Preemption of Localities

(a) Only the State may enact a law or take any other action to regulate the operation of motor vehicles equipped with driving automation systems in the State.

(b) Subsection (a) of this section:

(1) preempts the authority of a county or municipality to prohibit, restrict, or regulate the operation of motor vehicles equipped with driving automation systems on the basis of those vehicles being equipped with driving automation systems; and

(2) supersedes any existing law or ordinance of a county or municipality that prohibits, restricts, or regulates the testing or operation of motor vehicles equipped with driving automation systems.