Level 3 automated vehicles will be allowed on public roads in Japan

Japanese lawmakers have enacted amendments to their Road Traffic Act which allowed for the use of autonomous cars on public roads. Under the Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE International) Levels of Driving Automation, these would be considered Level 3 autonomous vehicles, which are capable of driving themselves autonomously but still require a driver at the wheel to re-assume control if needed. The amended law will come into effect in 2020. The swift approval of the changes, which came only six months after the proposal, could be part of the country’s plans to have a driverless car system by 2020 for the Tokyo Olympics.