The Vienna Convention allows the use of self-driving cars. From 14 July 2022, states will be able to ratify the legislation
MILAN – The future is also advancing in great strides in the transport sector. On 14 July, art. 34-bis of Vienna Convention which essentially allows each individual to ratify the legislation that allows the use of driverless car on the national and European territory. At the moment it is only a specification, but the medium-term trend is evident.
In the Infrastructure decree 68/2022 there is no trace of references to autonomous driving and any revisions of the articles of the Highway Code. The impression is that the Italian legislator will still remain at the window, waiting to see the results of a similar measure adopted perhaps in other countries of the European Union. Given the current criticality of the Italian ordinary road network, it seems unlikely that the car without a driver will take root in the country in close proximity. On the other hand, it is easier than the first arteries involved in the experiment to be the highways with three or more lanes.
According to some studies, specific professional categories could be affected by a similar technological evolution: self-driving cars with increasingly advanced functions, driving on the so-called smart roads, i.e. intelligent roads capable of providing information on traffic and accidents, in theory so safe, they would end up making the car insurance policies and with them the insurers useless. And then, taxi drivers, mechanics and basic component manufacturers. Hypotheses that, at present, clash – it must be said – with reality.
Luigi Giorgetti
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