Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Announces 'Driving Record Focus' in Guidelines for Safety Operation Requirements of Level 4 Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles

*This content was translated by AI.

The government is establishing guidelines containing safety operation requirements for Level 4 unmanned autonomous vehicles and moving to support their commercialization . The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 7th that it has formulated the 'Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle Safety Operation Requirements Guidelines,' which are detailed standards for ensuring the safety of unmanned autonomous vehicles, following corporate roundtable discussions. This measure is a follow-up to the plan announced last November to enhance the competitiveness of the autonomous vehicle industry. It proactively sets standards before international standards are institutionalized into domestic law, allowing companies to develop Level 4 fully autonomous driving technologies under temporary operation permits.

According to the guidelines, to obtain a temporary operation permit for an unmanned autonomous vehicle, it is mandatory to meet a minimum of 15,000 km or more in actual driving records . In this process, companies must also satisfy the requirement that the interval for control transfer by the test driver is once per 160 km or less . However, to alleviate the burden on companies, vehicles equipped with the same autonomous driving system and specifications are allowed to combine their driving distances up to a maximum of five vehicles if each has driven at least 3,000 km. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held three corporate roundtable discussions together with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority to cover various technical approaches and gather industry opinions.

Safety design and system requirements have also been specified in detail. The guidelines designate real-time monitoring systems through remote control and redundancy of the autonomous driving system as mandatory requirements. The installation of emergency stop means for passengers and a detachable emergency braking function has also been made compulsory . In case of emergencies such as malfunctions or deviation from the operation area, the vehicle must be equipped with a Risk Mitigation Condition (MRC) strategy that sends real-time alerts to the remote control center and stops the vehicle along with the activation of emergency flashing lights. If an accident occurs, the vehicle must be moved to a safe zone through remote support or emergency response systems .

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will advance autonomous driving policies aimed at full unmanning based on these guidelines. Dedicated vehicles deployed in the Gwangju Autonomous Driving Demonstration City will undergo phased unmanning and be utilized for Level 4 technology verification. The ministry also plans to support the transition of autonomous driving service demonstrations, previously operated at Level 3 in pilot zones nationwide, to full unmanning. Additionally, it is preparing amendments to the Automobile Management Act to quickly reflect detailed international standards into domestic laws within this year.

The guidelines can be viewed on the Korea Transportation Safety Authority's Automotive Safety Research Institute website starting July 7. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will hold a briefing session on July 10 at the Korea Automotive Mobility Industry Association for relevant companies and research institutions. During the session, it will provide guidance on regulatory improvements included in the guidelines and the temporary operation permit process. Meanwhile, the government is also pushing for legal amendments to extend the temporary operation permit period from five years to a maximum of nine years and to allow autonomous driving within protection zones for transportation-disadvantaged individuals.

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*This content was translated by AI.