Presentation — Regulation in Quebec for autonomous shuttles: the current situation

As part of its Demonstration and Experimentation initiative, Propulsion Québec held the Forum Regards croisés: Autonomous Shuttles in Quebec on September 9 and 10. Presented as five virtual conferences, it aimed to review the autonomous shuttle projects that took place in Quebec and to share the lessons learned from those experiences.

Following the insights that emerged from that exchange, Propulsion Québec offers the series of articles Regards Croisés highlighting the themes addressed during the Forum. This third article provides an overview of the regulations currently in force in Quebec concerning autonomous shuttles.

Current regulations in Quebec

First, it is important to understand that the current transportation safety regulations do not allow, with certain exceptions, free circulation of autonomous shuttles or driverless vehicles. With the high safety standards in place in Quebec, it is all the more important to conduct tests and adjustments so that autonomous shuttles conceived and tested in the laboratory can operate safely on streets with pedestrians and potholes.

To better understand the regulations in force, here is an overview of the standards and laws that concern autonomous vehicles in Quebec:

In Canada, it is Transport Canada that governs the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and regulates the manufacture and importation of vehicles. Provincial governments are responsible for issuing driver's licences, vehicle registration and insurance, and everything related to the laws and safety regulations for driving vehicles on public roads. Municipalities also have a role to play, as well as responsibilities concerning traffic management.

The J3016 standard of the Society of Automotive Engineers International defines six levels of autonomy: from no autonomy for level 0 (here referring to vehicles 20 to 30 years old) up to fully autonomous vehicles (level 5, without pedals or a steering wheel). Technological advances regarding autonomy have had to be integrated and adapted into current regulation, which has led the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) and the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) to make certain modifications.

For its part, the article 4 of the Highway Safety Code establishes that an autonomous vehicle is a road vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving system that has the capability to drive a vehicle in accordance with the driving automation levels 3, 4 and 5 of the J3016 standard of SAE International.When that standard changes, the definition also changes without the government having to amend the Highway Safety Code, as legislative adjustments are difficult to make.

In addition, the article 492.8 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code stipulates that no one may put an autonomous vehicle into circulation on a public road except for vehicles of levels 1, 2, or 3 whose sale is already permitted in Canada. A level 4 or 5 vehicle therefore cannot be freely put into circulation.

In order to keep up with these technologies, Quebec positions itself as a welcoming land for experiments through article 633.1 of the Highway Safety Code. This article allows the minister to authorize and carry out pilot projects as well as to test new mobility solutions that could be of interest to Quebec. The acceptability of these projects could then allow the minister to amend current rules and laws in order to integrate the free circulation of autonomous shuttles previously tested and approved according to the safety standards in place.

Adapting to experiment: the need to have flexible laws

The route chosen in Quebec is safety above all. To avoid jeopardizing the viability of projects and to prevent the public from being fearful of these new technologies, the Ministère des Transports du Québec and the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) ensure that autonomous shuttle projects proposed by promoters respect the spirit of the safety standards in force.

The Bill 165, law amending the Highway Safety Code and other provisions, establishes the framework for the implementation of autonomous vehicles: under what conditions the operation of these vehicles is permitted, the regulations to be adapted concerning the transport of people, etc. At the level of eligibility conditions, new concepts are defined precisely as tests and experiments are carried out and according to the projects that are launched. For example, it is this process that led to the adoption of the regulatory pilot project relating to autonomous buses and minibuses, which allows autonomous buses and minibuses to be put into operation on certain public roads in Quebec. It is in this regulatory text that the elements to be provided to the MTQ and the SAAQ in an authorization request with respect to pilot projects are defined. For example, the proposed safety measures, the duration of the project, or the means taken to harmonize the experimentation with the road layout where it would take place.

The Ministère des Transports du Québec and the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) work together: they formed a joint committee aimed at evaluating and advancing the projects presented by promoters so that they may be approved for experimentation in Quebec. Within this joint committee, two committees coexist: an eligibility committee, which handles the administrative aspect and the project's progression within the government apparatus, and a technical committee, made up of engineers from the Ministère des Transports and the SAAQ. This process allows for modifying the ministerial order to adjust it according to deployment characteristics specific to each experimental project, but also to enhance it each time a project completes all the stages of experimentation.

Quebec: an ideal host for autonomous vehicle experimentation

To evolve the ministerial order that leads to amending current legislation, Quebec wishes to host projects that require longer-term experimentation and that will be able to adapt to Quebec's changing environment. The province has many assets : ideal winter conditions to test technologies adapted to this type of climate, a legislative framework and teams of experts available to promoters.

To listen (or re-listen!) | Webinar on regulation in Quebec: an overview

Featuring:

The panellists discuss the regulatory changes that were necessary for Quebec to adapt to the arrival of autonomous shuttles on our roads, and more specifically the autonomous shuttle pilot projects, as well as the regulations currently in force.

Speakers:

Maxime Brault, Head of the Road Safety Research Service, Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ);
Stéphane Martinez, Director of Safety Policies, Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ).

WATCH THE FULL WEBINAR

This forum, organized by Propulsion Québec, was made possible thanks to our major partner the Montréal Urban Innovation Lab and to our collaborators Jalon Montréal and IVÉO.

The autonomous shuttle industry in Quebec

Several members of Propulsion Québec are involved, directly or indirectly, in the realization of these autonomous shuttle projects. To learn more about their expertise in the field, we invite you to visit their various websites: