What do the six levels of self-driving really mean?
'Self-driving' is not one thing but six: the levels from 0 to 5 are about who is responsible, the driver or the car, and where.
▶ Start the storyThe six levels of self-driving, numbered 0 to 5, describe how driving work is shared between the human and the car, not how clever the car is. In 2014 published a six-level classification, from fully manual to fully automated, as standard J3016. It is based on the role of the driver rather than on the vehicle's capabilities. At Level 0 a car with no controlling the driving leaves everything to the human. Level 1 includes and lane centering, and Level 2 includes highway assist and automatic parking. At Level 3 and above the system itself must recognise when it is leaving its operating conditions, and fall back, including asking the driver to take over if necessary. A fully self-driving car would stay at Level 5 in all circumstances.
Step 1: Level 0
No controlling the driving: the human does it.
Step 2: Levels 1-2
Assistance such as , lane centering and highway assist.
Step 3: Levels 3-4
The system must notice when it leaves its domain and fall back.
Step 4: Level 5
Fully self-driving in all circumstances.
What defines a level is two things: the , or ODD, which is the circumstance in which the car is driving, and the driving requirement, which is what the system must do safely within it. So a car can change level. One might be Level 3 up to 100 km/h and Level 2 above that, or Level 4 on designated highways and Level 2 on urban side roads.
That is why labels confuse. Tesla allows its full self-driving system to be used in all ODDs, but as a Level 2 driver-assistance system, and as of 2023 most commercially available driver-assistance vehicles were Level 2.
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Recap
Levels describe who is responsible and where, not how smart the car is.
💡 A trick to remember it · Zero you drive, five it drives, and in between ask: who is responsible, and where?
Surprising fact · A car's level can change with its driving conditions.
Connects to
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Sources (1)
No source, no claim. Every fact in this lesson (16 claims) cites at least one of these.