Canadian Legislative Issues
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While NAFTA renegotiations are set to begin in the upcoming weeks, a partnership between Ontario and Michigan completed a North American first. Two Level Three autonomous vehicles (where the driver is able to resume control at any time) left Windsor, Ontario’s waterfront on July 31, 2017, and drove themselves across the border through the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. Once in Michigan, they turned around and returned to Canada, completing the first cross-border test of its kind.
The two Cadillacs used in the test were outfitted by Canadian auto part manufacturer Magna, which has begun to take on the autonomous market. Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Steven Del Duca, commented that "If we can make traffic flow quicker, better, seamlessly, (and) safer using this technology, I think there's a huge opportunity there."
Magna isn’t the only multinational company diving into the self-driving vehicle market. Recently, Audi unveiled its new A8 sedan, which is the first readily available vehicle that possesses level three autonomous driving capabilities. This unveiling was done following new legislation in Germany which allows drivers to hand over full control of their vehicles to self-driving systems.
However, similar legislation hasn’t found its way into Canadian legislators, meaning that vehicles like the A8 fall out of the current regulatory framework. The provisions available in provinces like Ontario right now only allow for research and development of autonomous vehicle technology, but not its widespread dissemination to the public.
The federal and provincial ministries of transportation are however looking into the issue and sharing findings with each other through the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, which liaises with its U.S. counterpart. Many stakeholders believe that Canada won’t take the lead on creating new legislation, but rather will end up copying American regulations once made available. Some car manufacturers, such as Ford and Volvo, also believe that Level Three autonomous vehicles are dangerous and that only Level Four technology should be considered.
Level Four is where a vehicle can manage any kind of driving situation, no matter the circumstances. Companies like Google are producing technology of this caliber, where their vehicles don’t even have steering wheels or pedals.
Audi, however, stands by their newly unveiled vehicle, stating that giving drivers at least ten seconds to take back control of their vehicle in varying circumstances is enough. Unfortunately for them though, wide-ranging opinions from vehicle manufacturers on the safety of Level Three technology has caused both federal and provincial governments in Canada to take their time in creating new regulations. While they continue to financially support research and development efforts by Canadian companies, it may be years before they put pen to paper.
The two Cadillacs used in the test were outfitted by Canadian auto part manufacturer Magna, which has begun to take on the autonomous market. Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Steven Del Duca, commented that "If we can make traffic flow quicker, better, seamlessly, (and) safer using this technology, I think there's a huge opportunity there."
Magna isn’t the only multinational company diving into the self-driving vehicle market. Recently, Audi unveiled its new A8 sedan, which is the first readily available vehicle that possesses level three autonomous driving capabilities. This unveiling was done following new legislation in Germany which allows drivers to hand over full control of their vehicles to self-driving systems.
However, similar legislation hasn’t found its way into Canadian legislators, meaning that vehicles like the A8 fall out of the current regulatory framework. The provisions available in provinces like Ontario right now only allow for research and development of autonomous vehicle technology, but not its widespread dissemination to the public.
The federal and provincial ministries of transportation are however looking into the issue and sharing findings with each other through the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, which liaises with its U.S. counterpart. Many stakeholders believe that Canada won’t take the lead on creating new legislation, but rather will end up copying American regulations once made available. Some car manufacturers, such as Ford and Volvo, also believe that Level Three autonomous vehicles are dangerous and that only Level Four technology should be considered.
Level Four is where a vehicle can manage any kind of driving situation, no matter the circumstances. Companies like Google are producing technology of this caliber, where their vehicles don’t even have steering wheels or pedals.
Audi, however, stands by their newly unveiled vehicle, stating that giving drivers at least ten seconds to take back control of their vehicle in varying circumstances is enough. Unfortunately for them though, wide-ranging opinions from vehicle manufacturers on the safety of Level Three technology has caused both federal and provincial governments in Canada to take their time in creating new regulations. While they continue to financially support research and development efforts by Canadian companies, it may be years before they put pen to paper.
