New South Wales Consolidated Acts

ROAD TRANSPORT ACT 2013 - SECT 148S

148S Meaning of driver or person in charge of automated vehicle

(1) The Minister may, by order published on the NSW legislation website, specify how references (in this or any other Act or law) to the driver, or to the person in charge, of a vehicle are to be construed in the case of the use of a highly or fully automated trial vehicle as part of an approved trial.

(2) The Minister may specify that any such reference is taken to be a reference to any one or more of the following--

(a) no person,

(b) the vehicle supervisor,

(c) the approved person,

(d) the owner of the trial vehicle,

(e) a person prescribed by the statutory rules.

(3) In making an order under this section, the Minister is to take into consideration the level of automation of the trial vehicle.

(4) An order under this section may specify different persons in different circumstances.

(5) Unless the Minister makes an order that provides otherwise, any reference in any Act or law to the driver of a vehicle or the person in charge of a vehicle is, in the case of a trial vehicle in which there is a vehicle supervisor, taken to be a reference to the vehicle supervisor.

(6) The Minister is to enter into arrangements with the Minister administering the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 to ensure that consultation takes place about orders made under this section with respect to--

(a) Chapter 4 (Vehicle registration) of this Act, or any statutory rules made for the purposes of that Chapter, or

(b) any Act or instrument administered by the Minister administering the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017 ,

and the Minister must, before making any such order, be satisfied that consultation has taken place in accordance with those arrangements.

(7) A person who is taken to be the driver of a vehicle is, when the vehicle is in operation, also taken to be driving the vehicle.