Russia Clears Fully Driverless Trucks for Public Roads

MOSCOW, March 9 - In a significant regulatory shift, the Russian government has formally authorized the operation of unmanned trucks without a safety driver present in the cabin. The new ruling, published on the official legal acts portal, updates the nation's safety framework for autonomous vehicles.

The change specifically applies to vehicles classified at Level 4 automation. Under the revised rules, a human driver or remote operator is not required to participate in the vehicle's operation while it functions within its predefined operational domain. The mandate for human intervention as a backup safety measure has been removed from the definition of a highly automated transport system.

Russia uses a five-tier scale for vehicle automation. Level 4 denotes a system capable of performing all driving functions under specific conditions without human attention. While Level 3 systems can handle immediate reactions like emergency braking, they require driver readiness. Level 5 represents full automation under all circumstances. Currently, trucks operating at both Level 3 and Level 4 are being tested on major highways like the Central Ring Road and the M-11 Neva.

This amendment maintains the existing level classification but formally expands the operational scope for Level 4 vehicles, marking a concrete step toward commercial deployment of fully driverless freight transport on designated Russian roadways.

Source: RIA Novosti