April 2026 – The Czech Republic has entered a new phase of mobility, aligning itself with other EU Member States, most notably Germany and France. As of 1 January 2026, Czech law permits the operation of SAE Level 3 vehicles, introducing a relatively minimal, framework-based regulation while maintaining the requirement that a human driver must remain present and ready to take control at any time. Although this may resemble full autonomy at first glance, the legal reality remains more conservative.
SAE Level 3 represents conditional automation. The vehicle can perform the dynamic driving task independently, typically in limited environments such as motorways, but the driver must remain in the vehicle and be capable of resuming control within seconds upon system request.
