For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
- (1) ADS-EQUIPPED VEHICLE. A vehicle equipped with an automated driving system.
- (2) AUTOMATED DRIVING SYSTEM or ADS. The hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis regardless of whether it is limited to a specific operational design domain.
- (3) CONVENTIONAL HUMAN DRIVER. An individual, licensed or otherwise permitted by law to operate a vehicle, who manually exercises in-vehicle braking, accelerating, steering, and transmission gear selection input devices in order to operate a vehicle.
(4) DYNAMIC DRIVING TASK or DDT. All of the real-time operational and tactical functions required to operate a vehicle in on-road traffic, excluding the strategic functions such as trip scheduling and selection of destinations and waypoints, including, but not limited to:
- a. Lateral vehicle motion control via steering.
- b. Longitudinal vehicle motion control via acceleration and deceleration.
- c. Monitoring the driving environment via object and event detection, recognition, classification, and response preparation.
- d. Object and event response execution.
- e. Maneuver planning.
- f. Enhancing conspicuity via lighting, signaling, and gesturing.
- (5) FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE. A motor vehicle equipped with an automated driving system designed to function without a human driver as a Level 4 or Level 5 automation system under the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Standard J3016.
- (6) MINIMAL RISK CONDITION. A stable, stopped condition to which a user or an automated driving system may bring a vehicle after performing the DDT fallback in order to reduce the risk of a crash when a given trip cannot or should not be continued.
- (7) ON-DEMAND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE NETWORK. A transportation service or network that uses a software application or other digital means to dispatch or otherwise enable the prearrangement of transportation with ADS-equipped vehicles for purposes of transporting passengers or goods, including for-hire transportation and transportation of passengers or goods for compensation.
- (8) OPERATIONAL DESIGN DOMAIN or ODD. Operating conditions under which a given ADS or feature thereof is specifically designed to function, including, but not limited to, environmental, geographical, and time-of-day restrictions, and the requisite presence or absence of certain traffic or roadway characteristics.
(Act 2024-453, §1.)