Belgium bans self-driving cars: “Just take the train!”

Self-driving cars are not allowed on the roads in Belgium. “I see a whole range of problems and risks,” says Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet.

In Germany, BMW and Mercedes have received permission to sell Level 3 vehicles. They can take control in certain situations and allow the person behind the wheel to do something else.

Some self-driving cars

Most modern cars – including Tesla’s – only reach level 2. They can relieve the driver of certain tasks, but the driver must always be attentive and keep their hands on the steering wheel.

Belgium bans level 3

Mercedes also wants to sell its Level 3 models in Belgium, but the government is now blocking this. “I’m not in favor of it,” says Minister Gilkinet. “It is an intermediate form of autonomous driving: people who gamble in their car are not attentive enough to be able to intervene quickly if necessary.”

“Just take the train”

Gilkinet is kind and down to earth and believes people should get on the bandwagon. “Self-driving cars also get stuck in traffic jams and cause pollution. For long journeys, it is better to encourage people to take the train than to get into a self-driving car. You can also rest on the train.”

Not allowed in the Netherlands

Cars with autonomy level 3 are also not allowed in the Netherlands. This could well change in the future, as the EU is working on European legislation that enables Level 3.

Self-driving cars in the EU

The bill also talks about Level 4 cars, which are actually fully self-driving, but only in certain areas or circumstances. The EU wants to impose a sales limit for the time being. A maximum of 1,500 level 4 vehicles may be sold per member state. The market launch of these vehicle types is still a long way away.