Honda wins race to Level 3 autonomous driving

Honda has announced it has become the world's first car-maker to offer Level 3 autonomous vehicles that can legally travel on public roads without any input from the driver.

Beating other car-makers by many months, the first car to get Honda's full Level 3 technology is the new Legend sedan sold in Japan that will be on sale before the end of March 2021.

Crucially, unlike some of its rivals Honda has already been awarded certification for its Traffic Jam Pilot system by legislators.

However, the driverless tech can only be used on Japanese roads.

The conditions Honda had to meet to get its new Level 3 driving aids certified involved developing a system that warns the driver when the car needs to hand back control.

If the driver doesn't respond, the Honda is required to then stop the vehicle safely by itself.

Other safety measures demanded by the Japanese government include measures to protect the Legend from a cyber-attack, enhanced driver monitoring and an advanced data recorder to log the automated driving in operation for the first six months of ownership.

Finally, the Level 3 Honda must display a sticker to indicate to other road users that it features autonomous driving aids.

When working, the Honda Legend will be capable of full self-driving in special geofenced locations, like highways.

When in operation, the driver can take his or her eyes off the road, read a book, reply to emails or even watch movies.

Mercedes-Benz recently announced that while its new S-Class was operating in Level 3 autonomous mode its insurance would cover the cost of any accident deemed to be caused by a fault with its driver assist systems.

It's not known if Honda has similar plans, nor what speed the Legend will be limited to when in full autonomous mode.

German law currently only allows the new S-Class to operate in full driverless mode at speeds of up to 60km/h from the second half of 2021.

Honda has not announced when it plans to launch its Level 3 autonomous driving aids in other markets, which are yet to gain regulatory approval for the technology.