Japan approves driverless cars to launch road test and intensifies competition

The Japan News Agency reported on June 4 that the Japanese Police Agency has recently approved a pilot test run for unmanned remote-controlled vehicles. As the development of driverless cars has accelerated, the demand for drive tests has also rapidly increased. Recently, according to Japanese media reports, the Japanese Police Agency formally approved unmanned remotely controlled vehicles to be tested on the road. The Japan News Agency reported on June 4 that the Japanese Police Agency has recently approved a pilot test run for unmanned remote-controlled vehicles. Unmanned vehicles are required to go through a traffic inspection conducted by the traffic police prior to the unmanned vehicle and a safety survey on the remote control of emergency braking. In April of this year, the unmanned vehicle was announced on the road to implement standards and collect opinions from all citizens. Since then, the magistrate committees of all prefectures and counties in Japan have revised the driving rules of unmanned vehicles, and they can start accepting applications for unmanned vehicles on the road as early as this summer. In order to achieve the goal of unmanned vehicle service for the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020, the Japanese government explicitly stated that the experimental standards for highway trial run will accelerate the competition for product development of large-scale automobile manufacturers. In order to allow the unmanned vehicle to be able to drive on the road with an ordinary vehicle, it must be allowed by the Road Traffic Act road permission. Developers are required to submit a test site application to the local police station. After review, the Secretary shows the permit. Everyone who uses a remote control unmanned vehicle needs to hold a driver’s license and perform the same legal obligations as an ordinary car driver and assume the same responsibilities. According to the driving standards of unmanned vehicles, one person is limited to one unmanned vehicle. The remote operator needs to judge the surrounding road conditions through screens and sounds and grasp the direction of travel of the unmanned vehicle. When it is confirmed that the communication is abnormal, it is necessary to perform emergency braking and safe parking. After the unmanned vehicle driving application is passed, the police must personally review the vehicle to confirm whether the unmanned vehicle system operates smoothly and whether the vehicle control is timely.