14 Things You Should Know About Driverless Cars

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8. The NHSTA Has Established a Driverless Car Classification System

Self-driving technology has matured to the point that the U.S. NHSTA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has gone ahead and published an official, government classification system for the vehicles. Traditional autos are rated as a Level 0 where the driver always retains control of the vehicle 100% of the time. A Level 2 auto provides a minimum of two controls that can be automated in coordination with each other such as lane keeping with adaptive cruise control. Level 1 autos provide similar controls but they are not able to be synchronized with each other. Level 3 vehicles allow the driver to give up full control of safety-critical functions of the car. The driver is able to take back control as the situation dictates or of the auto controls recommend he or she do so. A Level 4 automobile is the ultimate goal of auto manufacturers where 100% of all vehicle functions are controlled by the auto.