Fully Autonomous Driving Still a Distant Goal... Why Are Robotaxis Possible? [K-Autonomous Driving Losing Ground to China]

Development Speed Varies by Level of Autonomous Driving
Liability for Accidents Also Differs by Stage

When it comes to autonomous driving, Tesla is often the first name that comes to mind. In June, Tesla showcased its autonomous driving technology by releasing a video of the world's first "driverless delivery," in which a car operated without a driver for about 30 minutes. Tesla's "Full Self Driving (FSD)" system, however, is not yet available for sale in Korea. Including Tesla's FSD, all autonomous driving systems currently sold domestically are classified as "Level 2."

According to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classification for autonomous driving, Level 2 refers to a system where the driver remains in control, but the system assists with steering, acceleration, and braking. The system merely acts as a driving assistant, so in the event of an accident, the driver bears full responsibility.

"Level 3" is considered "conditional autonomous driving." In this case, the system handles driving under normal conditions, but the driver must intervene in emergencies. Therefore, not only is the driver's presence required, but the driver must also remain attentive, such as keeping an eye on the road. If an accident occurs because the driver fails to fulfill these obligations, the driver is held responsible; otherwise, in most other cases, the manufacturer is liable.

Recently, Tesla was ordered to pay $242.5 million (approximately 337 billion won) in damages in a lawsuit related to an Autopilot autonomous driving collision. The question of liability in autonomous driving accidents remains unclear. This uncertainty is cited as a factor delaying the adoption of "Level 2 or higher" autonomous driving technologies in the automotive industry.

Robotaxis and autonomous buses are classified as "Level 4." In Level 4, the system handles all aspects of driving, including emergencies, without a driver. If an accident occurs at this level, the autonomous driving company, not the driver, is held responsible. Since accident prevention is prioritized, these vehicles are often limited to certain speeds or operate only within designated areas. "Level 2 and 3" systems are applied to consumer vehicles, while "Level 4" is designated for business-to-business (B2B) vehicles such as taxis and buses.

The autonomous driving industry argues that support should focus more on "Level 4," where startups and small to medium-sized enterprises are active, rather than on "Level 3," which is dominated by large corporations. An industry representative stated, "To improve technological maturity, we need to collect a large amount of data and increase the number of operating vehicles, but all of these require significant costs. Direct support is needed, such as enabling the use of data centers for data analysis, and institutional measures are necessary so that existing parts suppliers can transition their businesses to suit autonomous driving."