Automated Driving (AD) is foreseen to be one of the major social and technological challenges in the coming years. Many manufacturers are developing new models with cutting-edge functionalities, which are not included in the scope of the current regulatory framework. Apart from demonstrating their know-how and expertise about AD, their willingness to sell their AD models in the European market is accelerating the rule-making system. However, which is the roadmap for the European regulatory framework? Policy makers and regulatory bodies are pushing their boundaries at all levels (national and international) in order to introduce modifications in existing regulations. These regulations will enable the introduction of these new functionalities into the market. Without decreasing the standards of safety and security, the implementation of a clear and harmonized regulatory framework and approval process is extremely needed.
The last amendments of the UN Regulation n°79 related to steering equipment or the creation of new standards such as the ISO 21448 regarding Safety and Intended Functionality (SOTIF) are examples of recent efforts from the regulatory bodies to achieve this goal. The aim of this paper is to show the regulatory framework state of the art regarding automated driving. In order to provide a thorough understanding of the forthcoming amendments and new standards, the different challenges that the European Commission (EC) / United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) are facing will be analysed, as well as the different approaches to be considered by the international regulatory bodies.
Finally, as a result of this research, the conclusions will be exposed as considerations and proposals for all players involved in this change of paradigm: users, manufacturers, authorities of approval and technical services.