"Automated" driving as a generic term describes all levels of automation according to SAE, i.e. it includes all vehicles equipped with automated driving systems: 

• Driving assistance systems and partial automated driving systems support the drivers in their driving tasks (e.g. cruise control and/or lane control assistant).
• Conditionally automated driving systems can take over the control of the vehicle in certain traffic situations completely independently and over longer distances. Depending on the situation, driving tasks can be retransferred to the driver within a few seconds (e.g. road work zone).
• Highly automated driving systems are capable of handling highly complex situations without the intervention of the driver. In case the driver ignores possible warnings, the vehicle has the authority to move into safe conditions (e.g. safe stop at a roadhouse).
• Fully automated driving systems take over the steering permanently, which means that a driver is not required anymore. The vehicle is capable of handling all driving situations (at any time, under all road and weather circumstances and on all types of roads) by itself. Such vehicles usually do not have any control instruments (e.g. steering wheel).

The term "autonomous" is usually used synonymously with the term "fully automated" – other synonyms are "driverless" and "self-propelled".

The degrees of automation describe the various stages of automated driving. The most common definition of the different levels of automated driving corresponds to the representation of the international recommendation “SAE J3016”.

The Contact Point Automated Mobility at AustriaTech is the first counterpart in legal and technological issues for national and international companies and projects who want to test automated vehicles according to the Automated Driving Ordinance (AutomatFahrV) in Austria. It examines the conditions for obtaining a certificate for testing of automated vehicles on roads, which are publicly accessible. On top of this, the Contact Point networks the various test environments, projects and stakeholder in order to impart and exchange knowledge and information in the best possible way and to provide feedback for the legislator within the framework of impact monitoring.

Learning from tests and pilot projects within the framework of clearly defined use cases as well as the development of new forms of mobility is the main focus of the Austrian strategy for the development of automated mobility.

• Valid driving authorisations of all test drivers for the respective vehicle category used (as a scan; proof required at the time of application)
• Written confirmation of the test driver training (internal or external training) for all drivers, (certificate must be provided by an independent entity or the vehicle manufacturer)
• Confirmation, that all operators have been adequately instructed into the specific testing project (confirmation must be provided by the testing organisation)
• Results report of the route analysis and risk assessment (recommended template provided by the contact point)
• Proof of a valid motor vehicle liability insurance (proof required at the time of application)
• Proof of written communication between the Governor/Governess and the ASFINAG (if test drives are planned in the ASFINAG network; proof can be submitted up to 5 working days before the start of the test at the latest)

These are assistance systems, which may be integrated as standard by the vehicle manufacturer as they are legally approved. However, this does not mean that they are included as standard in the basic equipment of all vehicles.

Since the first amendment of the AutomatFahrV (11.03.2019) approved parking aids and motorway assistance with automatic lane keeping installed as standard in vehicles, these systems may be used in Austria under certain conditions on roads which are publicly accessible. In this case, both hands may be removed from the steering wheel.

An increasing number of vehicles are being equipped with advanced driver assistance systems. These systems are firmly integrated in the vehicle as they are legally permitted and are intended to facilitate driving tasks and thus support drivers. This support ranges from information and warning to steering speed control. However, drivers can deactivate or override these systems at any time.

Examples for driver assistance systems:

Electronic Stability Program (ESP): The vehicle is automatically stabilised in critical driving situations such as skidding.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): Cruise Control with automatic distance control.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW): The Lane Departure Warning uses integrated cameras to ensure that the lane is maintained. There are systems that alert drivers with haptic warning functions (vibration in the steering wheel) or lane departure warning systems that actively intervene in the steering.

Parking aid: The system performs the driving task when the vehicle is parked or unparked by means of an automatic steering function.

Automatic accident reporting (eCall): In the event of an accident, information is forwarded to a central reporting point via crash and/or collision sensors.

In principle, there are two versions of type approval for motor vehicles:

• National type approval (only valid in the country of issue) and
• EU-wide type approval (EC type approval)

Motor vehicles manufactured in series, which are equipped with an EC type-approval after January 1^st, 1996 generally have an EC type-approval. The EC type-approval is granted by a member state and is valid in all member states.

In case of modifications to an approved type, such as an installation of non-serially-approved sensors, a permission must be obtained from the respective federal state inspection body.

General information, responsible authorities, procedures and documents required for the typing of vehicle conversions can be found here (this page is only available in German).

For vehicles, for which a type certificate cannot be issued (e.g. prototype), an application for individual approval may be submitted. The individual approval of vehicles is a matter for the federal state and must therefore be granted in the federal state in which the owner of the vehicle is resident.

The technical inspection bodies of the federal state government can be found here (this page is only available in German).

In order to be authorised to drive a vehicle with non-serially-approved equipment on roads in Austria, which are publicly accessible, permission must be obtained from a federal state inspection body. A special permission from another country (e.g. Germany) is not valid in Austria.

General information, responsible authorities, procedures and documents required for the typing of vehicle conversions can be found here (this page is only available in German).

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at automatisierung@austriatech.at.

Currently, it is not possible to perform tests on roads, which are publicly accessible beyond the scope of the use cases defined in the Ordinance on Automated Driving (AutomatFahrV). The Contact Point Automated Mobility continuously collects these test requirements in order to subsequently analyse which additional use cases are required and can be implemented.

You can contact the Contact Point Automated Mobililty by: automatisierung@austriatech.at

Before submitting a test application for test drives on roads, which are publicly accessible, the planned test route(s) must undergo a thorough route analysis and risk assessment. The route analysis and risk assessment is a method that, among other measures, serves to ensure the road safety of all road users in the course of conducting test drives with automated vehicles.

With this method, the intended test route is divided into individual, homogeneous sections and the initial risk for each of these sections is identified. In further iterative steps, appropriate mitigation measures are set to minimize the risk potential for the test project and for all road users.

For conducting a route analysis and risk assessment, the Contact Point provides a template that can be referred to and should be understood as a recommendation. In no case is this template to be used obligatory. In any case, however, a result equivalent to the template must be produced.

The route analysis and risk assessment covers in particular the route-specific risk requirements. In order to identify and prevent further risk requirements, a risk analysis (RCA, FMEA or similar) must also be carried out for the entire test project and the results summarized in the test application.

The driving training for operators includes, on the one hand, an appropriate test driver training for the operator and, on the other hand, an adequate instruction of the operator into the specific test project and the specific (local) conditions.

The adequate driving training for operators is demonstrated by

• a certificate of a successfully completed test driver training of each operator from an independent authority or the vehicle manufacturer and
• confirmation from the testing organisation that an appropriate instruction has been provided. For the traceability of this confirmation, a description of the contents of this instruction is required.