[Regulatory Republic] Autonomous Vehicles Unable to Drive on Highways... "Public Debate May Backfire"

<1>Technology Development Hindered by Government in Global Competition
Autonomous Vehicles Barred from Domestic Highways
Over 10 Related Laws Must Be Reviewed in Case of Accidents
Complex Regulations Cause Reverse Discrimination Against Tesla

Autonomous vehicle developed by the domestic autonomous driving startup '42dot'.
[Photo provided by 42dot]

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] The core of autonomous vehicles, like delivery robots, is operational big data. To advance artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which benefits from larger datasets, it is essential to accumulate driving records in various environments.

In South Korea, operating autonomous vehicle services requires approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT). When MOLIT designates certain areas as autonomous driving regulatory free zones, autonomous vehicle services can be conducted in those areas under a regulatory sandbox framework. Currently, companies such as Socar and Kakao Mobility operate autonomous vehicles in regulatory free zones designated in Sejong and Jeju, collecting operational data.

Cannot Drive on Highways

At first glance, it may seem there is no problem building autonomous driving big data, but the reality is different. Currently, domestic autonomous vehicle companies cannot secure highway driving data. Autonomous vehicle operation is only allowed within limited areas approved by MOLIT. To drive on the Gyeongbu Expressway from Seoul to Busan, companies must obtain regulatory free zone approvals for each urban area the highway passes through. This means coordinating opinions and undergoing prior reviews with dozens of local governments as well as MOLIT before entering the highway. This is why industry insiders say, "To accumulate highway data, you have to go abroad."

Industry insiders agree that the legal framework related to autonomous vehicles is insufficient. The current law, the "Act on the Promotion and Support of Commercialization of Autonomous Vehicles," only includes provisions on establishing operational bases and testing and development. It does not regulate situations after the commercialization of autonomous vehicles. Moreover, there are more than ten laws that companies must consider in the event of an autonomous vehicle accident. This is because regulations related to autonomous vehicles are scattered across various laws such as the Road Traffic Act, Automobile Management Act, and Product Liability Act.

There are also opinions that regulations cause reverse discrimination. A representative example is the dual regulation system combining self-certification and type approval systems. The self-certification system, introduced in countries like the United States, allows vehicle manufacturers to certify the safety of their vehicles through autonomous testing. The type approval system, adopted in Europe and other regions, requires approval from nationally recognized testing agencies before sales. South Korea initially adopted the type approval system but switched to the self-certification system in the 2000s.

Mayor Oh Se-hoon, First Passenger of Paid Autonomous Vehicle Transport
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Jin Yeon-su = On the afternoon of the 29th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended the 'Autonomous Driving Paid Transport Declaration Ceremony' held at the S-Plex Center Plaza in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and took a test ride in an autonomous vehicle. 2021.11.29 [Joint Coverage]
jin90@yna.co.kr
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Reverse Discrimination Against Tesla

The problem is that current regulations have not fully transitioned to the self-certification system and still mix it with the type approval system. According to the industry, this dual regulation often causes difficulties for domestic companies in adopting new technologies such as autonomous driving. On the other hand, American automakers like Tesla benefit from the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and are subject only to the North American self-certification system, allowing them relatively freer adoption of new technologies. An industry insider explained, "Domestic regulations are caught between American and European regulations, resulting in a situation that is neither here nor there. When applying the same technology, domestic automakers face more restrictions than imported cars."

The permitted range of remote control is another example of reverse discrimination. Tesla supports the "Smart Summon" technology, which allows a vehicle to be summoned within 60 meters to the driver using the autonomous driving assistance feature Autopilot. However, domestic regulations limit the remote control operation range to 6 meters, one-tenth of Tesla's range.

Poor infrastructure such as traffic signals is also cited as an obstacle. Autonomous vehicles predict signal changes by communicating with traffic signal devices when crossing crosswalks or intersections and decide whether to enter accordingly. For level 4 or higher autonomous driving without driver intervention, smooth integration with traffic signal systems is essential. However, in South Korea, communication protocols for exchanging traffic signal information are not standardized, resulting in slight differences in signal standards and equipment specifications by region. This forces autonomous vehicle companies to understand regional communication systems individually and apply different technologies by region, causing inefficiencies.

The government is promoting the enactment of the "Mobility Activation Act," but there are concerns it may have adverse effects. An industry insider said, "Under the domestic positive regulation system, once a law is enacted, the permitted scope tends to be narrowly restricted, causing adverse effects. In the past, promotion or activation laws, though well-intentioned, often ended up constraining the industry like regulatory laws."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.