On self-driving cars and its (broken?) promises. A case study analysis of the German Act on Autonomous Driving
Salvini P., Kunze L., Jirotka M.
Automotive companies are investing in automated vehicles, conducting real world testing, and many countries are setting the pre-conditions for being the first to receive the benefits from this technology. In this study, we conducted a content analysis of the German Act on Autonomous Driving (2021) – one of the most advanced regulatory frameworks on driverless vehicles - to evaluate the role of regulation in achieving three socially desirable promises related to driverless cars: reducing road accidents, improving environmental sustainability, and ensuring equal access to road mobility. The main finding from our analysis of the German legal framework is that there was evidence of the three promises, but no provisions to operationalize them.