Mercedes receives approval for the Level 3 driving assistance system in Germany

KBA

KBA, the German transport authority, has given the green light to Mercedes to use the Level 3 driving assistance systems on the country's public roads. In particular, Mercedes will be able to make the Drive Pilot system available to its customers, which introduces Level 3 assisted driving. This system can be used on some German motorway sections thanks to the approval granted by KBA. It is the first time that the German body has authorized the use of an assisted driving system of a higher level than 2.

Initially, the Drive Pilot system will be offered by the new Mercedes S-Class, the flagship of the range of the German manufacturer. Thanks to the approval by the KBA, however, it is easy to assume a rapid expansion of support for this system. In the future, the Drive Pilot will be offered by the electric flagship EQS and other high-end models in the Mercedes range such as the GLS, the E-Class, the GLE and the EQE.

For now, Mercedes has received approval to use the Drive Pilot on approximately 13,000 kilometers of motorways in Germany. Furthermore, the assisted driving system will only be used in traffic conditions with a maximum speed of 60 km / h. When this limit is exceeded, the system will be deactivated, leaving room for level 2 driving systems only.

Drive Pilot allows the driver to take his eyes off the road even with the car in motion (in certain conditions). This is not a complete autonomous driving system. In any case, the solution proposed by Mercedes requires the driver to be ready to regain control of the car in case of need.