Spain works toward framework for autonomous driving

Spain is working to expand rules for self-driving vehicles and on modifications to insurance law, aiming to offer an overall legal framework for autonomous driving.

The regulation of autonomous-driving tests currently comes from an instruction approved in November 2015 by the Direccion General de Trafico (DGT). The rule encompasses all self-driving cars up to Level 5, which means full autonomy on all roads and under any conditions.

Automakers and suppliers have conducted various demonstrations of autonomous-driving vehicles under local authorizations for specific itineraries. Some examples were PSA Group between Vigo and Madrid and the Valeo European Hands Off Tour.

DGT Director General Gregorio Serrano told the Spanish press that the DGT will propose a new “strategic plan for the vehicle of the 21st century” by the end of the current legislature – by 2020 at the latest.

In January, the DGT and Mobileye agreed to a collaboration intended “to reduce road accidents and prepare Spain’s infrastructure ecosystem and regulatory policy for the driving of autonomous vehicles.” Mobileye, an Israeli company specializing in vision technology, was acquired by Intel in 2017.

Under the collaboration, the DGT and Mobileye will transform Barcelona into a full-scale test laboratory by putting a 5,000-vehicle fleet in the city equipped with the Mobileye 8 Connect technology. The first task will be to create a high-definition map of the city to facilitate tests of autonomous vehicles, using Mobileye’s Road Experience Management system. To complete this task, the DGT will use a number of vehicle fleets, from municipal services to public transport to car sharing.

Mobileye and the DGT will also collaborate on defining the regulatory roadmap required for an autonomous future. Volkswagen Group Spanish subsidiary Seat participates in the local efforts for autonomous driving, although German sister company Audi is leading research in the field within the group.