The Economics Committee approved an amendment which would allow experiments in autonomous cars

The Economics Committee approved on second and third reading the amendment to the Traffic Ordinance, which would allow experiments in autonomous cars without having an operator in the vehicle. According to the Ministry of Transportation, this will allow the experiments to start this year. The number of vehicles in the experiments will be limited to 500, according to the proposal of the chairman of the Economics Committee, MK Michael Bitton (blue and white). The committee decided that many regulations would become an addition to the bill, to allow for their speedy enactment.
Transport Minister Merav Michaeli said at the hearing that this was an "exciting breakthrough," and that Israel would be one of the first countries in the world to allow autonomous vehicles to move on the roads. The Minister also noted that it is important that the experiment be conducted not only in the center, but in places with different life textures, in the north, in the south, in the Negev and in the Galilee. Michaeli added after the discussion: "While most countries in the world are still facing outdated regulations that do not keep pace with rapid technological development, Israel will be one of the first to allow innovative experiments, they will attract the world's leading car manufacturers and systems."
The amendment to the Traffic Law stipulates that every autonomous car will have an operating company - a company registered in Israel, which will operate a control center that will be in contact with the cars continuously. From the control center it will be possible to remotely control the cars when needed.
The experiments will be accompanied by a supervisory committee headed by the Director General of the Ministry of Transport, which will be composed of representatives of all relevant government ministries, and at least two of its members will be women. That autonomous cars, certainly in private use, will increase congestion on the roads.
The cars in the experiment will be operated at autonomy level 4, that is - in a defined geographical area, at least in the initial stage. There will also be restrictions on the hours, traffic conditions and weather in which the autonomous cars can be operated. The aim will be to reduce as much as possible the risk to the public, and to reduce the contribution of autonomous driving to road congestion.
In the event of a traffic offense, the responsibility will be imposed on the operating company, instead of the driver - as is customary in manned cars. If a fine is imposed on the autonomous car, it will be paid by the operating company and will be four times higher than the fine imposed on a driver. However, a company cannot be denied a driver's license, and its executives will not risk imprisonment - only fines. If the car is operated remotely, by the control center, the criminal responsibility will be on the operator.
Despite the opposition of the insurance companies, the autonomous cars will be insured with the help of the Pool, the vehicle insurance database that the insurance companies refuse to insure. However, of course it will also be possible to insure cars through the insurance companies, if they agree to it.
Committee chairman Bitton said that the proposal will now be approved by the Knesset plenum and hopefully not get stuck. Distance (like that of Mobilai), similar systems can be encouraged to prevent forgetting children. "It is difficult for us to cancel the installation without knowing that there is an action plan for this coming summer, the glove is with you," Bitton told Michaeli.
The coalition crisis regarding the budgetary pensions of IDF officers did not remain out of the discussion either. As we did, so can you. "Michaeli replied:" I agree and it is a pity that you boycotted the plenum. "Bitton responded:" We did not boycott your law, so reciprocity is what we ask for. "