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Starting from 1 January 2026, it will be officially possible to use vehicles equipped with conditional automation functions, the so-called SAE Level 3, on public roads in the Czech Republic. This is a milestone towards automated mobility and a clear signal that Central Europe is taking the development of autonomous technologies seriously.

What does this mean in practice?
Drivers who own vehicles equipped with approved Level 3 systems – for example, Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT or BMW Personal Pilot – will be able to legally use these functions within the so-called “Operational Design Domain” (ODD), i.e. under the conditions specified by the system manufacturer. Most importantly, while the system is active, the driver can engage in activities unrelated to driving, such as reading, using the phone or watching a film.

Who is responsible for any accidents?
Czech law clearly specifies that when the automated driving system (ADS) is active, the vehicle manufacturer is responsible, not the driver. However, the driver is obliged to take control when the system requests it. According to UN regulation no. 157, the user has at least 10 seconds to do this. During this time, the responsibility still lies with the manufacturer – only after this period does it pass to the driver. If there is no reaction, the system will perform the so-called “minimal risk maneuver”.

What about vehicles from abroad?
Good news for tourists and drivers from neighbouring countries: it does not matter whether the vehicle is registered in the Czech Republic, Germany or Austria. As long as the car has the appropriate type approval, it can also use autonomous functions on Czech roads.

Legal basis and further plans
The change was introduced by amending Act No. 111/1994 on road transport. Type approvals are carried out on the basis of UN regulation no. 157, and the process of approving the DRIVE PILOT system was carried out by the German Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt in cooperation with TÜV Rheinland.
It is also worth adding that the Czech Republic does not intend to stop – work is already underway on a law enabling the commercial implementation of fully autonomous vehicles, i.e. from SAE level 4.

Cooperation that brings results
The success of this regulation is the result of years of work by many experts, as well as exemplary cooperation between the government administration and the automotive industry. Teresa Cízkova from the Ministry of Transport and Maria Novákova from the Association of the Automotive Industry in the Czech Republic were particularly involved in the work on changing the regulations – they played key roles in the entire process.

Source: www.zakonyprolidi.cz