Automated Mobility in Austria: My Presentation for SAAM Austria at Yunex Traffic
Automated mobility in Austria: My contribution at SAAM Austria
SAAM Austria – the “Strategic Alliance for Automated Mobility in Austria” – is Austria’s central platform for exchange, research and strategic cooperation in automated mobility. As a forum for dialogue, it brings together experts from business, academia, law and politics to actively shape the automated future of mobility.
At its latest event, I had the opportunity to give a presentation on the legal opportunities along the path towards automated mobile machinery and automated vehicles in Austria. I provided insights into the current legal framework, ongoing developments and forthcoming European legislation.
New legal opportunities for automated mobile machinery
A central part of my presentation addressed legal developments relating to automated mobile machinery. Austria – and Europe as a whole – is approaching a turning point in this field.
The European Union is currently working on an entirely new regulation governing the type approval of automated and fully self-driving mobile machinery that can be operated on public roads. This includes construction machinery and specialised equipment that is not primarily intended to transport passengers or goods and therefore has not previously fallen within the traditional vehicle categories of road-traffic law.
The new regulation is intended to cover vehicles with design speeds from 6 km/h to a maximum of 40 km/h and would make a fundamental change possible:
➡️ A single approval granted in one EU Member State should be sufficient for the relevant machine to be used in every other EU country.
This would represent a major step towards harmonisation, legal certainty and economic efficiency.
Transitional rules in Austria
Until the new EU regulation enters into force, the following rules continue to apply in Austria:
- Automated mobile machinery requires a national special permit before it may be used.
- Such machinery may currently have a maximum design speed of 30 km/h.
This transitional period illustrates the significant need for clear, uniform rules throughout Europe – and the importance of actively developing the legal framework.
Outlook: The future of mobility is automated
In the coming years, automated mobile machinery and vehicles will not only drive technological innovation but also create substantial economic opportunities.
Austria has strong industries, highly specialised research institutions and innovative companies. Modern regulation and clear legal frameworks can help us build on these strengths.
The future of mobility is automated. We should seize these opportunities and strengthen Austria as a business and innovation location.
