Ky. Rev. Stat. § 186.760 (2026)

As used in KRS 186.760 to 186.779:

(1) "Automated driving system" means hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether it is limited to a specific operational design domain;

(2) "Dynamic driving task" or "DDT":

(a) Means all of the real-time operational and tactical functions required to operate a vehicle in on-road traffic, including without limitation:

1. Lateral vehicle motion control via steering;

2. Longitudinal motion control via acceleration and deceleration;

3. Monitoring the driving environment via object and event detection, recognition, classification, and response preparation;

4. Object and event response execution;

5. Maneuver planning; and

6. Enhancing conspicuity via lighting, signaling, and gesturing; and

(b) Does not include strategic functions such as trip scheduling and the selection of destinations and waypoints;

(3) "DDT fallback" means the response by:

(a) The person or human driver to either perform the DDT or achieve a minimal risk condition after occurrence of a DDT performance relevant system failure, or upon operational design domain exit; or

(b) An automated driving system to achieve minimal risk condition, given the same circumstances identified in paragraph (a) of this subsection;

(4) "Fully autonomous vehicle" means a motor vehicle equipped with an automated driving system designed to function without a human driver as a level 4 or 5 system under SAE J3016;

(5) "Human driver" means a natural person in the vehicle with a valid license to operate a motor vehicle who controls all or part of the dynamic driving task;

(6) "Minimal risk condition" means a condition to which a person, human driver, or an automated driving system may bring a vehicle after performing the DDT fallback in order to reduce the risk of a crash when a given trip cannot or should not be completed;

(7) "Operational design domain" or "ODD" means the operating conditions under which a given automated driving system is specifically designed to function, including but not limited to:

(a) Environmental, geographical, and time-of-day restrictions; and

(b) The requisite presence or absence of certain traffic and roadway characteristics;

(8) "Public agency" has the same meaning as in KRS 61.870;

(9) "Request to intervene" means a notification by an automated driving system to a human driver that the human driver should promptly begin or resume performance of part or all of the dynamic driving task; and

(10) "SAE J3016" means the "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles" published by SAE International on June 15, 2018, as amended. Effective: July 15, 2024 History: Created 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 176, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2024.