Will autonomous cars be authorized in Brazil? A bill is moving through Congress.

Autonomous vehicles are already operating in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, but in Brazil the topic still faces significant hurdles. The lack of a specific legal framework, legal uncertainty, and infrastructure constraints make it difficult to conduct tests and ensure the safe operation of this technology. Although Brazil developed a pioneering prototype in 2014, the regulatory debate has seen little progress.

At present, the absence of technical and legal parameters creates a range of risks, leaving gaps and uncertainties. Some key questions help illustrate the scope of the issue: what level of safety and transparency should the system meet during the testing phase and for operation on public roads? What criteria will be used to assess any failures identified during tests or while in operation? How will the authorities address inherent risks—i.e., those not resulting from failures? What level of safety controls will manufacturers be required to adopt at each stage? Who is responsible, and how can liability be assigned, for damages caused by system decisions affecting passengers/consumers and/or third parties?

Comments Rodrigo Sardenberg.