Automated Driving Roles
From NewlyPossible.org
Revision as of 07:37, 24 August 2026 by Neumoeglich (talk | contribs)
This page provides a glossary of terms related to roles -- of humans and entities in automated driving systems.
Semantic Map
You can also view an interactive semantic map of these terms.
Cross-Cutting Concepts
Driver
Driver is not a universal unitary role. The UN road-traffic conventions begin with a human who drives, while article 34 bis of the 1968 Convention treats the driver requirement as satisfied during compliant automated driving system (ADS) operation without declaring the ADS to be a driver. SAE J3016 distinguishes in-vehicle and remote drivers from fallback-ready users. Germany retains Fahrzeugführer, France permits delegated driving subject to conditions, Canada’s ACMV pilot allocates driver duties within its supervised stream, and Switzerland’s motorway-pilot regime preserves a driver ready to resume control. US FMVSS generally defines driver by reference to a human occupant, but NHTSA’s fact-specific 2016 Google interpretation treated the Self-Driving System as the driver for the described vehicle design. Each framework-specific use remains a separate table entry.
Operator
Operator may denote a human exercising control, an organization responsible for a service or fleet, a permit holder, or a legal attribution to the ADS. California regulates the person operating or causing an autonomous vehicle to operate and separately licenses manufacturers and permit holders. France distinguishes the STRA operator from the transport-service organizer and remote-intervention personnel. Switzerland, Nevada, Canada, Croatia, the European Union, and Singapore assign different operational functions. Florida and Texas expressly treat the engaged ADS as the operator for limited traffic-law purposes while preserving responsibility elsewhere. The table therefore avoids a single master definition.
User
User is an umbrella term for a variety of human relationships to an ADS rather than one distinct operational role. SAE J3016 treats driver, passenger, fallback-ready user, driverless operation dispatcher, and ADS assistant as mutually exclusive user-role categories at a given time. The UN ADS framework uses ADS user as a human-only umbrella covering occupant, driver, fallback user, and passenger. The specific roles remain in the table; User itself does not.
Remote facilitator
Remote facilitator is used here as an umbrella term for a human who supports or affects vehicle operation from outside the vehicle, whether by driving, fallback, intervention, assistance, monitoring, supervision, or dispatch. A Remote Driver performs at least part of the dynamic driving task; a Remote ADS Assistant or framework-specific Remote Assistant supplies information or advice performing the dynamic driving task (at least ostensibly); a Remote Monitor observes; a Remote Fallback-Ready User performs fallback; and a Remote Intervention Operator supplies commands within a defined intervention function. Frameworks draw these boundaries differently.
Safety driver and safety operator
Safety driver and safety operator are testing or authorization roles. A safety driver normally occupies a driving position and can take over the dynamic driving task; a safety operator may monitor or intervene from another position or remotely, depending on the instrument. Singapore’s current rules distinguish a qualified safety driver from a safety operator and allow authorization-specific conditions. China uses 安全员 in national and local pilot rules, while California uses autonomous-vehicle test driver and remote driver terminology. The table preserves those jurisdictional choices rather than normalizing them into one label.
Owner, keeper, and registered operator
Owner, keeper, and registered operator describe roles for which property, registration, and operational responsibility do not necessarily coincide. Germany’s Halter is the person who keeps the vehicle for their own account and controls its use; Australia’s registered operator is a registration-law status; Croatia assigns specified duties to the owner of a fully automated vehicle; Texas places traffic-law responsibility on the owner while deeming the ADS the operator; and other frameworks allocate duties to permit holders, fleet operators, or service operators. These entries should be compared functionally, not treated as translations.
Permit holder, participant, and responsible person
Permit holder, participant, and responsible person are roles to which trial and deployment regimes frequently attach duties instead of assigning those duties to a generic operator. California has separate testing-with-driver, driverless-testing, and deployment permit holders; Canada uses an ACMV-pilot participant; Hong Kong uses pilot proprietor; Sweden uses trial permit holder and a person deemed the driver; the UK uses ASDE and APS permit structures; China uses manufacturer/use-subject or local pilot-entity arrangements; and Texas provides for commercial authorization. The approval instrument may add conditions that are as important as the general legislation.
Table of Framework-Specific Concepts
| Term / Role | Framework | Role Type | Brief Description | Primary Source(s) and URL(s) | Similar Terms (other frameworks) |
Complementary Terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADS Assistant | SAE J3016 | Human | A user who supplies event-driven information or advice to an ADS that is performing the dynamic driving task so the trip can continue. The assistant does not perform the dynamic driving task or fallback; assistance can include revised tactical goals, interpretation of human traffic control, and communication with first responders. |
|
Opérateur d'intervention à distance [France] Remote Assistant [Canada] Remote Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Intervention Operator [EU] |
Driverless Operation Dispatcher |
| Approval Authority | UNECE 1958 Agreement | Entity | The competent authority that grants, refuses, extends, suspends, or withdraws type approval on behalf of a Contracting Party. It may act directly or through the national arrangements allowed by the type-approval system. |
|
First-Supply Regulator [Australia] | Technical Service |
| Assessor / Competent Personnel | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human | Personnel assigned to assess test environments, the safety case, post-deployment safety, and related compliance evidence. The UN ADS text distributes these functions across assessors and ‘competent personnel’ rather than defining one universal office. |
|
Organisme Qualifié Agréé (OQA) [France] Technical Service [UNECE 1958 Agreement] |
Manufacturer |
| Authorised Automated Vehicle Incident Inspector | United Kingdom | Human | A person authorised to investigate incidents involving authorised automated vehicles. The inspector seeks to identify, understand, and reduce safety failings rather than determine civil or criminal blame, and is distinct from the in-use regulator's enforcement functions. |
|
— | Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Licensed NUiC Operator |
| Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) | United Kingdom | Entity | The authorised self-driving entity is the person identified in an authorisation as responsible for the way an authorised automated vehicle behaves when an authorised automation feature is engaged. The framework protects a user-in-charge from offences arising from the manner of driving while the feature is engaged, subject to statutory exceptions, and instead subjects the ASDE to information duties, civil sanctions, and variation, suspension, or withdrawal of authorisation. |
|
Automated Driving Provider (ADP) Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) SAO Implementer STRA Operator Use Subject |
Authorised Automated Vehicle Incident Inspector Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder Licensed NUiC Operator User-in-Charge (UiC) |
| Authorized Entity | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human or Entity | A person or entity authorised to receive data from an ADS vehicle's Data Storage System for Automated Driving (DSSAD). The applicable national framework determines who is authorised and the conditions for access. |
|
— | Manufacturer |
| Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Participant | Canada | Human or Entity | A person or organisation authorised to operate an automated commercial motor vehicle in Ontario's pilot program. The pilot has its own eligibility, operating, reporting, driver or remote-oversight, and insurance requirements. |
|
Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Driver [France] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] |
Driver Remote Assistant |
| Automated Driving Provider (ADP) | UAOVA (US model state law) | Human or Entity | An automated driving provider is a person that declares to the state that it may be the driver of an associated automated vehicle during automated operation. The declaration is implemented through the registration system: an automated vehicle may be registered only if it is associated with a declared ADP. |
|
Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) Operator (ADS Attribution) [Florida] Operator (ADS Attribution) [Texas] Operator [Nevada] SAO Implementer STRA Operator Use Subject |
— |
| Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) | Australia | Entity | A corporation that would be certified as responsible for the safe operation of an ADS throughout its on-road design life under Australia's proposed in-service law. The proposed role includes responsibility for the dynamic driving task, a general safety duty, data and reporting obligations, and executive-officer due diligence. |
|
Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Automated Driving Provider (ADP) SAO Implementer STRA Operator Use Subject |
Executive Officer First-Supply Regulator Registered Operator |
| Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder | United Kingdom | Human or Entity | A person or body granted a permit to provide automated passenger services under the United Kingdom's pilot scheme. The permit can modify specified taxi, private-hire, or bus requirements and does not by itself make its holder an ASDE or licensed NUiC operator. |
|
Deployment Permit Holder [California] Driverless Testing Permit Holder [California] Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] Testing Permit Holder - Driver Present [California] Trial Permit Holder [Sweden] |
Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Licensed NUiC Operator |
| Automobile Manufacturer (Pilot Consortium) | China (national) | Entity | The vehicle-manufacturer member of a national ICV pilot consortium. It applies jointly with the Use Subject and must establish product safety assurance, safety monitoring, risk and emergency-management, cybersecurity, data-security, and response capabilities for the selected ICV products throughout the pilot stages. |
|
Manufacturer [UN ADS] Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology [California] |
Use Subject |
| Autonomous Vehicle Driver Korean: 자율주행자동차 운전자 |
South Korea | Human (only in-vehicle) | The human driver of an autonomous vehicle. When a driver-supervised automated system requests takeover or direct driving is otherwise required, the driver must respond promptly and operate the steering, braking, and other controls; education requirements also apply. |
|
Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Participant [Canada] Driver [Canada] Driver [France] Driver [Switzerland] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] Fallback User [UN ADS] Fallback-Ready User (FRU) [SAE J3016] User-in-Charge (UiC) [UK] |
— |
| Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver | California | Human (only in-vehicle) | The human driver designated for a California testing operation when the applicable permit requires a driver. The person must meet the licensing, training, monitoring, and takeover requirements in the DMV regulations and the permit holder’s program. |
|
Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Participant [Canada] Backup Operator (Hong Kong) Driver [Canada] Safety Driver [Singapore] Safety Operator Safety Operator [China (national)] Safety Operator [China (Shenzhen)] Safety Operator [Singapore] |
Testing Permit Holder - Driver Present |
| Backup Operator Chinese: 後備操作員 |
Hong Kong | Human | A person who may be required or named by a condition of a Hong Kong autonomous-vehicle pilot licence or AV certificate and who meets the qualifications specified in that condition. The regulatory records distinguish whether the AV system was overridden by a backup operator. |
|
Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Safety Driver [Singapore] Safety Operator Safety Operator [China (national)] Safety Operator [China (Shenzhen)] Safety Operator [Singapore] |
Pilot Proprietor |
| Commercial Authorization Holder | Texas | Human or Entity | The person authorized by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to operate automated motor vehicles without a human driver for commercial transport of property or passengers. The 2025 law directs the Board to prescribe applications, statements, vehicle information, safety and contact materials, and enforcement by rule; compliance timing depends on the implementing rules. |
|
Deployment Permit Holder [California] Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] |
Operator (ADS Attribution) Owner |
| Company | Canada | Entity | A company includes a person manufacturing vehicles or equipment in Canada, a person selling for resale vehicles or equipment obtained directly from such a manufacturer or its agent, and a person importing a vehicle or equipment for sale. ADS-related defect, testing, exemption, and corrective-action duties attach through this existing federal role rather than a dedicated ADS operator licence. |
|
Manufacturer [UN ADS] Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology [California] |
— |
| Deployment Permit Holder | California | Entity | An eligible manufacturer holding a California permit to deploy autonomous vehicles for public operation rather than merely test them. Deployment duties are distinct from testing duties; the holder must comply with the applicable safety case, reporting, financial-responsibility, operational, first-responder, and permit conditions. |
|
Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder (UK) Commercial Authorization Holder [Texas] Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] Trial Permit Holder [Sweden] |
Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology Operator Remote Assistant Remote Driver |
| Dispatching Entity | SAE J3016 | Entity | An entity that places one or more ADS-equipped vehicles into driverless service by engaging the ADS. Its dispatch functions may be divided among agents according to the vehicle-use specification; the entity does not itself perform the dynamic driving task. |
|
— | Driverless Operation Dispatcher |
| Driver | Canada | Human (only in-vehicle) | The human in the driver's seat for the driver-supervised stream of Ontario's Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle pilot. The driver must be properly qualified and prepared to engage and take control as required by the approved testing approach and program conditions. |
|
Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Driver [France] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] |
Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Participant Trial Organization |
| Driver | France | Human (only in-vehicle) | The human who drives a vehicle capable of delegated driving. While the automated driving system controls the vehicle within its conditions of use, French law relieves the driver of specified responsibility for system-performed manoeuvres, subject to takeover obligations and exceptions for emergency or authority directions. |
|
Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Participant [Canada] Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Driver [Canada] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] UiC [UK] |
— |
| Driver | SAE J3016 | Human | A user who performs in real time part or all of the dynamic driving task and/or DDT fallback for a particular vehicle. The technical role can be performed in the vehicle or remotely; it is distinct from a dispatcher or remote assistant performing only strategic or advisory functions. |
|
Driver [UN road traffic conventions] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] Remote Human Operator [Florida] |
Fallback-Ready User (FRU) |
| Driver | Switzerland | Human (only in-vehicle) | A human driver who may activate an approved motorway-pilot system and need not continuously monitor the road or vehicle while it is active. The driver must remain ready to resume control when requested and is distinct from the operator who supervises a driverless vehicle. |
|
Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] Fallback User [UN ADS] Fallback-Ready User (FRU) [SAE J3016] UiC [UK] |
— |
| Driver | UN Road Traffic Conventions (1949/1968) | Human | A person who drives a motor vehicle or another vehicle and, under the 1968 Convention, a person who guides certain animals on a road. The 1968 Convention treats its driver requirement as satisfied during compliant ADS operation without redefining the ADS itself as a driver. |
|
Driver [SAE J3016] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] UiC [UK] |
— |
| Driver | US (national) | Human (only in-vehicle) | Driver means the occupant of a motor vehicle seated immediately behind the steering control system. This occupant-based definition can produce a vacancy in vehicles without conventional controls. |
|
Human Operator [Texas] In-Vehicle Driver [SAE J3016] |
Driver [ADS] |
| Driver | US (national) | ADS | An automated driving system treated as the driver in NHTSA's interpretation of Google's described vehicle design, which had no human driving controls and was controlled exclusively by its Self-Driving System. The interpretation was confined to those facts and did not amend the general FMVSS definition of driver. |
|
Operator (ADS Attribution) [Florida] Operator (ADS Attribution) [Texas] |
Driver [Human] |
| Driverless Operation Dispatcher | SAE J3016 | Human | A user who dispatches one or more ADS-equipped vehicles in driverless operation. Dispatch is a strategic service function rather than performance of the dynamic driving task, although the same person may also perform other fleet-operation functions. |
|
Driverless Operation Dispatcher [Utah] | ADS Assistant Dispatching Entity Remote ADS Assistant |
| Driverless Operation Dispatcher | Utah | Human | A user who dispatches an ADS-equipped vehicle in driverless operation. Utah codifies the role and the associated dispatch function, including software-enabled dispatch of multiple vehicles and trips; dispatch remains a strategic function rather than performance of the DDT. |
|
Driverless Operation Dispatcher [SAE J3016] | Remote Driver |
| Driverless Testing Permit Holder | California | Entity | An eligible entity holding a California permit to test autonomous vehicles without a driver in the vehicle. The permit imposes category-specific financial-responsibility, operational, reporting, remote-communication, law-enforcement, and first-responder requirements. |
|
Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder (UK) Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] Trial Permit Holder [Sweden] |
Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology Operator Remote Assistant Remote Driver |
| Encadrant d'intervention à distance | France | Human (only remote) | Personnel exercising supervisory or managerial responsibility over remote-intervention operations under the French STRA implementing framework. The role is distinct from the opérateur d’intervention à distance who performs the authorized intervention and should be identified separately in staffing, competence, and operating arrangements. |
|
— | Opérateur d'intervention à distance STRA Operator |
| Executive Officer | Australia | Human | An executive officer of an Automated Driving System Entity would have a personal due-diligence duty to ensure that the ADSE complies with its safety duties. The role remains proposed, not enacted. |
|
Nominated Individual (UK) Responsible Person for Permit Compliance [Sweden] Responsible Person in the Owner Entity (Croatia) Senior Manager (UK) |
Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) |
| Fahrzeugführer English: vehicle driver |
Germany | Human (only in-vehicle) | The Fahrzeugführer is the natural person driving the vehicle. | Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Participant [Canada] Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Driver [Canada] Driver [France] Driver [SAE J3016] Driver [Switzerland] Driver [UN road traffic conventions] In-Vehicle Driver [SAE J3016] |
Halter Technische Aufsicht | |
| Fallback User | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human (only in-vehicle) | An ADS user located inside the vehicle who is designated to perform dynamic-driving-task fallback after an ADS fallback response. The person must be correctly seated, able to take control, and in contact with the steering control before deactivation completes. |
|
Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Driver [Switzerland] Fallback-Ready User (FRU) [SAE J3016] In-Vehicle Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] Remote Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] User-in-Charge (UiC) [UK] |
— |
| Fallback-Ready User (FRU) | SAE J3016 | Human | A user of a vehicle with an engaged Level 3 ADS feature who is qualified and able to operate the vehicle and remains receptive to ADS alerts and evident failures that require the user to perform fallback. |
|
Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Driver [Switzerland] Fallback User [UN ADS] User-in-Charge (UiC) [UK] |
Driver |
| Fernlenkende Person English: remotely driving person |
Germany | Human (only remote) | A natural person who remotely controls a motor vehicle in Germany's temporary remote-driving framework. While remote control is active, the person is treated as the Fahrzeugführer and must meet licensing, suitability, workplace, communications, and operational requirements. |
|
Remote Driver [California] Remote Driver [Netherlands] Remote Driver [SAE J3016] Remote Driver [Utah] Remote Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] Remote Human Operator [Florida] |
Halter |
| First Responder | Generic | Human | A human emergency responder. While traveling on the road to or from an incident, the responder and any emergency vehicle are road users whose movement and applicable priority rules the ADS must recognize. At a crash or incident scene, the responder may be working in or beside the roadway, directing traffic, assisting people, or managing hazards, and may also qualify as an Other Road User, Traffic Controller, Road-Safety Agent, or Vulnerable Road User. |
|
Road-Safety Agent [UN ADS] | Second Responder Traffic Controller Vulnerable Road User |
| First-Supply Regulator | Australia | Entity | The Commonwealth regulator responsible for vehicle and equipment compliance when first supplied to the Australian market. It is distinct from the proposed in-service regulator that would oversee an Automated Driving System Entity after deployment. |
|
Approval Authority [UNECE 1958 Agreement] In-Use Regulator [Generic] |
Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) |
| Fleet Operator | Generic | Entity | A generic term for an entity that deploys and manages a fleet of ADS-equipped vehicles. A framework may instead assign this work to an ADP, ASDE, licensed NUiC operator, Halter, SAO implementer, STRA operator, or use subject. |
|
Licensed NUiC Operator Organisateur du service (France) Transport Service Operator |
Remote Monitor Second Responder |
| Halter English: vehicle keeper |
Germany | Human or Entity | The Halter is the person or entity that keeps the vehicle for its own account and exercises the relevant power of disposition; the keeper may differ from the legal owner. |
|
Owner [Texas] Owner of a Fully Automated Vehicle (Croatia) Registered Operator (Australia) |
Fahrzeugführer Fernlenkende Person Hersteller Technische Aufsicht |
| Hersteller English: manufacturer |
Germany | Human or Entity | The natural or legal person responsible to the approval authority for type approval and for ensuring conformity of production. Depending on the applicable German or EU instrument, the role may also carry operating-permit, safety, documentation, and market-correction duties. |
|
Manufacturer Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology [California] System Designer [France] |
Halter Technische Aufsicht |
| Human Operator | Texas | Human (only in-vehicle) | A natural person in an automated motor vehicle who controls the entire dynamic driving task. A licensed human operator is not required when the ADS is engaged, but the term remains important for distinguishing conventional human control from driverless commercial operation. |
|
Driver [US FMVSS] In-Vehicle Driver [SAE J3016] |
Operator (ADS Attribution) |
| In-Use Regulator | Generic | Entity | A generic term for a public authority that monitors and enforces safety obligations after automated vehicles enter service. Different frameworks distribute these functions among one or more authorities rather than using a single office with this name. |
|
First-Supply Regulator [Australia] Relevant Authority (UN in-service reporting) |
— |
| In-Vehicle ADS Assistant | SAE J3016 | Human (only in-vehicle) | A user who provides event-driven information or advice to an ADS while located in the vehicle. The ADS continues to perform the dynamic driving task and fallback; a customer-service attendant responding to an ADS request is one example. |
|
On-Board Operator On-Board Operator [Croatia] On-Board Operator [European Union] |
— |
| In-Vehicle Driver | SAE J3016 | Human (only in-vehicle) | A driver who manually exercises in-vehicle braking, accelerating, steering, and transmission gear selection input devices in order to operate a vehicle; seated in the driver's seat, the unique seating position making those input devices accessible. "Conventional driver" is an acceptable synonym. |
|
Driver [US FMVSS] Fahrzeugführer [Germany] Human Operator [Texas] |
In-Vehicle Fallback-Ready User |
| In-Vehicle Fallback-Ready User | SAE J3016 | Human (only in-vehicle) | A fallback-ready user seated in the driver’s seat of a conventional vehicle while a Level 3 ADS feature is engaged. After an alert to perform the dynamic driving task, the user can become the in-vehicle driver and perform fallback. |
|
Fallback User [UN ADS] User-in-Charge (UiC) [UK] |
In-Vehicle Driver |
| Insurer | United Kingdom | Entity | The insurer is directly liable to an injured person where an accident is caused by a listed vehicle when driving itself on a road or other public place in Great Britain and the vehicle is insured at the time. This is a single-insurer victim-compensation role, not a general definition of insurers in other frameworks. |
|
— | — |
| Licensed NUiC Operator | United Kingdom | Human or Entity | The licensed entity with general responsibility for detecting and responding to problems during journeys made by vehicles with no user in charge. It must remain capable, financially sound, and operationally ready to oversee those journeys; it is distinct from the ASDE responsible for how the vehicle drives. |
|
Fleet Operator Organisateur du service (France) Transport Service Operator |
Authorised Automated Vehicle Incident Inspector Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder Nominated Individual Senior Manager |
| Manufacturer | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human or Entity | The manufacturer is the principal technical addressee of the adopted UN ADS instruments. It must establish and document a lifecycle Safety Management System, build and independently review a safety case, validate the ADS through a multi-pillar approach, conduct in-service monitoring and reporting, take remedial action, and supply required information and data. |
|
Automobile Manufacturer (Pilot Consortium) [China (national)] Company [Canada] Hersteller (manufacturer) Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology [California] System Designer [France] |
Assessor / Competent Personnel Authorized Entity Relevant Authority Safety Management System Auditor Safety-Case Reviewer |
| Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology | California | Human or Entity | The person that originally manufactures and equips a vehicle with autonomous technology, or modifies a completed vehicle by installing autonomous technology. Eligibility and duties under the DMV permit system depend on the specific testing or deployment pathway. |
|
Automobile Manufacturer (Pilot Consortium) [China (national)] Company [Canada] Hersteller [Germany] Manufacturer [UN ADS] System Designer [France] |
Deployment Permit Holder Driverless Testing Permit Holder Testing Permit Holder - Driver Present |
| Nominated Individual | United Kingdom | Human | A named individual whom a regulated body may nominate to maintain oversight of its licensed no-user-in-charge operations and serve as a senior point of accountability. Nomination is permitted but not mandatory, and the role is distinct from the body’s senior manager. |
|
Executive Officer [Australia] Responsible Person for Permit Compliance [Sweden] Responsible Person in the Owner Entity [Croatia] Specified Person [Singapore] |
Licensed NUiC Operator Senior Manager |
| Occupant | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human (only in-vehicle) | An occupant is an ADS user located in the ADS vehicle. This matters because a fallback user must be an occupant; the UN framework therefore does not create a remote fallback user. |
|
— | — |
| On-Board Operator Croatian: operator u vozilu |
Croatia | Human (only in-vehicle) | A person inside a fully automated vehicle who may activate, reinitialize, or deactivate the ADS; order a minimal-risk maneuver; confirm an ADS-proposed maneuver while stopped; order a safe low-speed maneuver after a minimal-risk stop; change route or stop planning; or assist passengers in defined emergencies. The person does not drive the vehicle while performing these functions, and the ADS continues the dynamic driving task. |
|
In-Vehicle ADS Assistant On-Board Operator |
Owner of a Fully Automated Vehicle |
| On-Board Operator | European Union | Human (only in-vehicle) | A person inside a fully automated vehicle who may activate, re-initialise, or deactivate the ADS; request or confirm specified minimal-risk or low-speed manoeuvres; adjust itinerary or stopping points; and assist passengers. The person does not perform the dynamic driving task. |
|
In-Vehicle ADS Assistant On-Board Operator [Croatia] |
Transport Service Operator |
| On-Site Response Operator Japanese: 現場措置業務実施者 |
Japan | Human | A person designated to reach an accident or incident scene during specified automated operation and take the measures needed to prevent danger on the road. The role supplies the operation's own physical response when the chief supervisor is monitoring remotely rather than riding in the vehicle. |
|
Second Responder | SAO Chief Supervisor SAO Implementer |
| Operator | California | Human or Entity | The person seated in the driver's seat of an autonomous vehicle or, if no person is seated there, the person who causes the autonomous technology to engage. This statutory attribution is distinct from permit-holder, test-driver, remote-driver, and remote-assistant roles. |
|
Operator (ADS attribution) [Florida/Texas] Operator (ADS Attribution) [Texas] Operator [Nevada] Person Deemed the Driver [Sweden] |
Deployment Permit Holder Driverless Testing Permit Holder Testing Permit Holder - Driver Present |
| Operator | Nevada | Human or Entity | A person is deemed the operator of an autonomous vehicle in autonomous mode when the person causes it to engage, whether or not the person is physically present. The role is activation-based and should not be treated as equivalent to a remote driver or fleet operator. |
|
ADP [UAOVA] Operator [California] Person Deemed the Driver [Sweden] |
— |
| Operator | Switzerland | Human (only remote) | A human who remotely supervises a driverless vehicle and may perform or approve the interventions allowed by Swiss law, including proposed manoeuvres. The role is distinct from remote driving, and the operator need not work from a facility formally designated as a control centre. |
|
Platform Safety Monitoring Personnel (Beijing) Remote Monitor SAO Chief Supervisor Technische Aufsicht (technical supervision) |
— |
| Operator (ADS Attribution) | Florida | ADS | When the ADS is engaged, Florida deems the automated driving system to be the operator for purposes of assessing compliance with traffic and motor-vehicle laws, regardless of whether a person is physically present. This legal attribution is distinct from the natural-person Remote Human Operator. |
|
ADP [UAOVA] Driver [US (national); ADS] Operator (ADS Attribution) [Texas] Operator [California] Person Deemed the Driver [Sweden] |
Remote Human Operator |
| Operator (ADS Attribution) | Texas | ADS | When engaged, the automated driving system is considered the operator of the automated motor vehicle for assessing compliance with traffic and motor-vehicle laws. The owner remains responsible for that compliance, and commercial driverless operations require the separate authorization framework. |
|
ADP [UAOVA] Driver [US (national); ADS] Operator (ADS Attribution) [Florida] Operator [California] Person Deemed the Driver [Sweden] |
Commercial Authorization Holder Human Operator Owner |
| Opérateur d'intervention à distance | France | Human (only remote) | A person who performs authorized remote-intervention functions within the safety framework of an automated road transport system. The person may issue defined instructions or assistance but does not continuously control the vehicle’s motion and therefore is not a remote driver. |
|
ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Assistant / Remote ADS Assistant Remote Assistant [Canada] Remote Intervention Operator Remote Intervention Operator [Croatia] Remote Intervention Operator [European Union] |
Encadrant d'intervention à distance STRA Operator |
| Organisateur du service | France | Human or Entity | The person or public/private body responsible for organizing the automated road transport service under the French STRA framework. The organizer is legally distinct from the system designer and the exploitant, although one entity may hold more than one role. |
|
Fleet Operator Licensed NUiC Operator Transport Service Operator |
STRA Operator System Designer |
| Organisme Qualifié Agréé (OQA) | France | Entity | An organisme qualifié agréé is an independent accredited body that assesses the operator’s safety-demonstration file under STRMTG oversight. The authorization authority relies on that assessment in authorizing a service. |
|
Assessor / Competent Personnel (UN) Safety Management System Auditor (UN) Safety-Case Reviewer Technical Service [UNECE 1958 Agreement] |
STRA Operator System Designer |
| Other Road User | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human | A human outside the ADS vehicle whose presence or behaviour is relevant to the driving task and safety response. In the broader usage of the term, it can also refer to animals, vehicles, and other nearby actors and objects; a traffic controller, first responder, driver, cyclist, or pedestrian may simultaneously be an other road user. |
|
— | — |
| Owner | Texas | Human or Entity | The owner of the automated driving system bears responsibility for compliance with traffic and motor-vehicle laws when the ADS is engaged, even though the ADS is considered the operator for that limited purpose. Commercial driverless operation is also subject to the authorization framework added in 2025. |
|
Halter [Germany] Registered Operator [Australia] |
Commercial Authorization Holder Operator (ADS Attribution) |
| Owner of a Fully Automated Vehicle Croatian: vlasnik potpuno automatiziranog vozila |
Croatia | Entity | The legal person that owns a fully automated vehicle used for public transport outside an approved area in Croatia. The owner is responsible for registration, safety settings, markings, qualified personnel, data preservation, video monitoring, access controls, and, subject to exceptions, traffic offences committed by the vehicle. |
|
Halter (vehicle keeper) Registered Operator (Australia) |
On-Board Operator Remote Intervention Operator Responsible Person in the Owner Entity |
| Passenger | SAE J3016 | Human (only in-vehicle) | A user inside a vehicle who has no role in performing the dynamic driving task. A passenger may be capable of becoming a driver, but remains a passenger while the ADS drives unless the person takes over the dynamic driving task. |
|
Passenger [UN ADS] | — |
| Passenger | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human (only in-vehicle) | A passenger is an ADS user who is neither a driver nor a fallback user. |
|
Passenger [SAE J3016] | — |
| Person Deemed the Driver | Sweden | Human | The person who activates automated driving and is legally treated as the vehicle's driver until automated driving is deactivated. The person may be inside or outside the vehicle and is distinct from the trial permit holder. |
|
Operator (ADS Attribution) [Florida/Texas] Operator (ADS Attribution) [Texas] Operator [California] Operator [Nevada] |
Responsible Person for Permit Compliance Trial Permit Holder |
| Pilot Proprietor | Hong Kong | Human or Entity | The pilot proprietor is the person or organization issued a pilot licence by the Commissioner for Transport. The licence authorizes a pilot scheme that may cover multiple vehicles; each pilot vehicle also requires an AV certificate. |
|
Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder (UK) Commercial Authorization Holder [Texas] Deployment Permit Holder [California] Driverless Testing Permit Holder [California] Road-Application Pilot Entity [China (Beijing)] Testing Permit Holder - Driver Present [California] Trial Organization [Canada] Trial Permit Holder [Sweden] |
Backup Operator |
| Platform Safety Monitoring Personnel Chinese: 平台安全监控人员 |
China (Beijing) | Human (only remote) | A person who monitors vehicle operations through the safety-monitoring platform used in Beijing road-application pilots. The person issues warnings, responds to hazards and emergencies, and can take over vehicle control when prompted by platform monitoring, the system, or traffic conditions. |
|
Operator [Switzerland] Remote Monitor SAO Chief Supervisor Technische Aufsicht (technical supervision) |
Road-Application Pilot Entity Safety Operator |
| Registered Operator | Australia | Human or Entity | The person in whose name a vehicle is registered under Australian state or territory law. This keeper-style role is distinct from the proposed ADSE. |
|
Halter (vehicle keeper) Owner [Texas] Owner of a Fully Automated Vehicle (Croatia) |
Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) |
| Relevant Authority | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Entity | The public authority or body that receives specified manufacturer notifications and in-service safety reports. The UN text does not identify the institution; national implementation determines which authority performs the role. |
|
In-Use Regulator | Manufacturer |
| Remote ADS Assistant | SAE J3016 | Human (only remote) | A user outside the vehicle who provides event-driven information or advice to an ADS while the ADS continues to perform the dynamic driving task and fallback. The same person may also perform separate fleet-operation functions, but ADS assistance excludes dispatch decisions about destination or trip initiation. |
|
Opérateur d'intervention à distance [France] Remote Assistant [Canada] Remote Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Intervention Operator [Croatia] Remote Intervention Operator [EU] |
Driverless Operation Dispatcher Remote Driver |
| Remote Assistant | California | Human (only remote) | A person outside the vehicle who provides guidance or other remote support while the ADS retains continuous control of the driving function. The final 2026 rules distinguish this role from a Remote Driver and removed the proposed individual-permit requirement for assistants, while retaining manufacturer qualification, training, recordkeeping, and operational duties. |
|
ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Opérateur d'intervention à distance [France] Remote ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Intervention Operator [Croatia] Remote Intervention Operator [EU] |
Deployment Permit Holder Driverless Testing Permit Holder Remote Driver |
| Remote Assistant | Canada | Human | The human who oversees an ACMV in the driverless stream from inside the vehicle or from another location in Ontario and is ready to provide the required oversight. First-responder contact information for the remote assistant must be displayed on driverless-stream vehicles, and the approved testing approach controls the detailed arrangement. |
|
ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Opérateur d'intervention à distance [France] Remote ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Assistant [California/SAE] Remote Intervention Operator [Croatia] Remote Intervention Operator [European Union] |
Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle Pilot Participant Trial Organization |
| Remote Driver | California | Human (only remote) | A person outside the vehicle who is authorized and trained to perform the dynamic driving task or DDT fallback remotely for an AV operating under the applicable testing or deployment permit. Current regulations require identification, qualifications, training, records, and availability to law enforcement; the role is distinct from a Remote Assistant, who does not perform the DDT or fallback. |
|
Fernlenkende Person [Germany] Remote Driver [SAE J3016] Remote Driver [SAE/Utah/Netherlands] Remote Driver [Utah] Remote Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] |
Deployment Permit Holder Driverless Testing Permit Holder Remote Assistant |
| Remote Driver | Netherlands | Human (only remote) | A remote human driver or supervisor authorized under a Dutch automated-vehicle experiment and its permit conditions. Despite the statute’s popular name, the scheme is not about vehicles operating without human supervision: it is built for a person outside the vehicle who can still be classified as the bestuurder, and every duty and responsibility that existing law places on a driver applies equally to a driver who is not in the vehicle. |
|
Fernlenkende Person (remotely driving person) Remote Driver [California] Remote Driver [SAE J3016] Remote Driver [Utah] Remote Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] Remote Human Operator [Florida] |
— |
| Remote Driver | SAE J3016 | Human (only remote) | A driver who performs part or all of the DDT from outside the vehicle through remote means. The role differs from a Remote Assistant, Driverless Operation Dispatcher, and Remote Fallback-Ready User because it entails actual DDT performance. |
|
Fernlenkende Person [Germany] Remote Driver [California/Utah/Netherlands] Remote Driver [Netherlands] Remote Driver [Utah] |
Remote ADS Assistant Remote Fallback-Ready User |
| Remote Driver | Utah | Human (only remote) | A human driver who operates an automated vehicle remotely under Utah’s Automated Vehicle Act. The role is distinct from a remote assistant who does not perform the dynamic driving task. |
|
Fernlenkende Person (remotely driving person) Remote Driver [California] Remote Driver [Netherlands] Remote Driver [SAE J3016] Remote Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] Remote Human Operator [Florida] |
Driverless Operation Dispatcher |
| Remote Fallback-Ready User | SAE J3016 | Human (only remote) | A fallback-ready user of a Level 3 ADS-equipped vehicle in driverless operation who is not seated in the driver’s seat. After an alert to perform the dynamic driving task, the user can become a remote driver and perform fallback by remotely operating the vehicle. |
|
Fallback User [UN ADS] Fernlenkende Person [Germany] Remote Driver [California/Utah/Netherlands] Remote Driver [Netherlands] Remote Driver [Utah] User-in-Charge (UiC) [UK] |
Remote Driver |
| Remote Human Operator | Florida | Human (only remote) | A natural person outside an ADS-equipped vehicle who remotely engages or monitors it. The person may perform part or all of the dynamic driving task or cause a minimal-risk condition; applicable law also imposes location and driver-licensing requirements. |
|
Driver [SAE J3016] Fernlenkende Person (remotely driving person) Remote Driver [Netherlands] Remote Driver [Utah] |
Operator (ADS Attribution) |
| Remote Intervention Operator Croatian: operator intervencije na daljinu |
Croatia | Human (only remote) | A person outside the fully automated vehicle who may remotely perform the functions of the Croatian on-board operator when safe. The person does not drive the vehicle, and the ADS continues the dynamic driving task. |
|
Opérateur d'Intervention à Distance Remote ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Assistant / Remote ADS Assistant Remote Assistant [Canada] Remote Intervention Operator |
Owner of a Fully Automated Vehicle |
| Remote Intervention Operator | European Union | Human (only remote) | A person outside a fully automated vehicle who may remotely perform the limited tasks assigned to an on-board operator when it is safe to do so. The person can request or confirm specified actions but does not drive the vehicle; the ADS continues to perform the dynamic driving task. |
|
ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Opérateur d'Intervention à Distance Remote ADS Assistant [SAE J3016] Remote Assistant / Remote ADS Assistant Remote Assistant [Canada] Remote Intervention Operator [Croatia] |
Transport Service Operator |
| Remote Monitor | Generic | Human (only remote) | A human who observes automated vehicle operations from a distance — typically many vehicles at once via a fleet interface — and escalates or alerts without directly commanding maneuvers or performing the DDT. The most passive of the remote roles: watching rather than advising (remote assistant) or controlling (remote driver). |
|
Operator [Switzerland] Platform Safety Monitoring Personnel (Beijing) SAO Chief Supervisor Technische Aufsicht (technical supervision) |
Fleet Operator |
| Responsible Person for Permit Compliance | Sweden | Human | A natural person approved by the Swedish Transport Agency within a legal-person trial operator and responsible for ensuring that the activity is conducted in accordance with the permit. |
|
Executive Officer [Australia] Nominated Individual [UK] Specified Person [Singapore] |
Person Deemed the Driver Trial Permit Holder |
| Responsible Person in the Owner Entity | Croatia | Human | A responsible natural person within the legal-person owner of a fully automated vehicle. The 2024 amendments give the responsible person, or a person authorized by that person, access to specified stored vehicle data and video; they also impose personal administrative penalties for violations of the data and video duties. |
|
Executive Officer Nominated Individual (UK) Senior Manager (UK) |
Owner of a Fully Automated Vehicle |
| Road-Application Pilot Entity Chinese: 道路应用试点主体 |
China (Beijing) | Entity | The entity approved to conduct a Beijing autonomous-vehicle road-application pilot. It must demonstrate operating and liability-bearing capability, cybersecurity and data-security safeguards, a compliant vehicle safety assessment, qualified personnel, and complete operating, safety-assurance, and emergency-handling plans. |
|
Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] Use Subject [China national pilot] |
Platform Safety Monitoring Personnel Safety Operator |
| Road-Safety Agent | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human | A human who directs traffic, enforces traffic laws, responds to traffic incidents, or performs more than one of those functions. The term therefore covers both traffic-control and emergency-response roles whose instructions an ADS may need to detect and follow. |
|
First Responder Traffic Controller |
— |
| Safety Driver | Singapore | Human (only in-vehicle) | A human required by a Singapore autonomous-motor-vehicle trial or special-use authorization to monitor the vehicle from inside it and take over operation if necessary. The framework authorizes the Land Transport Authority to impose the role as a condition rather than defining one universal set of duties. |
|
Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Backup Operator (Hong Kong) Safety Operator Safety Operator [China (national)] Safety Operator [China (Shenzhen)] |
Specified Person |
| Safety Management System Auditor | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human or Entity | The auditor or audit team that examines the manufacturer’s Safety Management System. The UN text requires auditors to have the technical and administrative knowledge necessary for the audit, demonstrated through appropriate qualifications or equivalent training records. |
|
Organisme Qualifié Agréé (OQA) [France] | Manufacturer Safety-Case Reviewer |
| Safety Operator Chinese: 安全员 |
China (Beijing) | Human | A human assigned by a Beijing road-application pilot entity to monitor an automated vehicle, address operational hazards and incidents, and perform any required takeover or intervention under the pilot plan and municipal rules. |
|
Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Backup Operator [Hong Kong] Safety Driver [Singapore] Safety Operator [Singapore] |
Platform Safety Monitoring Personnel Road-Application Pilot Entity |
| Safety Operator Chinese: 安全员 |
China (national) | Human | A human assigned under the national ICV access and on-road pilot to monitor vehicle operation, respond to unsafe conditions or incidents, and take over or otherwise intervene as required by the approved pilot arrangement. |
|
Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Backup Operator [Hong Kong] Safety Driver [Singapore] Safety Operator [Singapore] |
Use Subject |
| Safety Operator Chinese: 安全员 |
China (Shenzhen) | Human | A human assigned under Shenzhen's local intelligent-and-connected-vehicle regime to monitor testing or demonstration operation and take the safety actions required by the approved local plan and operating conditions. |
|
Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Backup Operator [Hong Kong] Safety Driver [Singapore] Safety Operator [Singapore] |
— |
| Safety Operator | Singapore | Human | A qualified person who may be required by an authorization to monitor an autonomous motor vehicle and take over its operation if necessary. Unlike the Safety Driver condition, the Rules do not require this role to be seated in the vehicle; the authorization supplies the operational detail. |
|
Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver [California] Backup Operator [Hong Kong] Safety Operator [China (national)] Safety Operator [China (Shenzhen)] Safety Operator [China] |
Specified Person |
| Safety-Case Reviewer | UN Regulation / GTR on ADS | Human or Entity | The person or team that reviews the manufacturer’s safety case before certification or approval. As part of demonstrating compliance with the safety-assurance requirements, the manufacturer shall review its safety case prior to certification or approval, and is encouraged to do so during development. |
|
Organisme Qualifié Agréé (OQA) [France] | Manufacturer Safety Management System Auditor |
| SAO Chief Supervisor Japanese: 特定自動運行主任者 |
Japan | Human | A person who supervises specified automated operation remotely or from aboard the vehicle and assumes driver-related safety duties when no driver is present. The supervisor directs incident handling and coordinates the on-site response operator. |
|
Operator [Switzerland] Platform Safety Monitoring Personnel (Beijing) Remote Monitor Technische Aufsicht (technical supervision) |
On-Site Response Operator SAO Implementer |
| SAO Implementer Japanese: 特定自動運行実施者 |
Japan | Human or Entity | The specified automated operation implementer (特定自動運行実施者) is the person that obtains a permit from the Prefectural Public Safety Commission to conduct specified automated operation. The implementer submits and follows the operation plan; designates a chief supervisor and, when required, an on-site response operator; educates designated personnel; keeps records; implements accident measures; and maintains required insurance. |
|
Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Automated Driving Provider (ADP) Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) STRA Operator Use Subject |
On-Site Response Operator SAO Chief Supervisor |
| Second Responder | Generic | Human | Tow and recovery operators, roadside-assistance personnel, hazmat cleanup crews, and others who arrive after the immediate emergency phase to clear, recover, or repair vehicles and restore the roadway. No examined framework defines their authority over an automated vehicle: who may lawfully direct, move, disable, or tow an ADS-equipped vehicle — and how the vehicle or its remote supervision must respond — is governed today by operator protocols rather than statute. |
|
On-Site Response Operator | First Responder Fleet Operator |
| Senior Manager | United Kingdom | Human | A senior manager of a regulated body who may be personally liable for an offence committed with the manager's consent or connivance. This is an offence-attribution role, not a general operational office or a nominated individual. |
|
Executive Officer [Australia] Responsible Person in the Owner Entity [Croatia] |
Licensed NUiC Operator Nominated Individual |
| Specified Person | Singapore | Human or Entity | The natural person or body corporate nominated in an application as the point of contact for an approved trial or special use. The Specified Person handles prescribed applications, documents, liaison, records, maintenance, incident notification, and other duties under Part 3 of the Rules. |
|
Nominated Individual [UK] Responsible Person [Croatia] |
Safety Driver Safety Operator |
| STRA Operator French: Exploitant |
France | Human or Entity | A natural or legal person that operates an automated road transport system, either directly or at the service organizer's request, and manages and maintains it. The same entity may also be the service organizer or system designer; when there are multiple operators, Exploitant denotes the lead operator. French freight rules use the same role for automated freight systems. |
|
Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Automated Driving Provider (ADP) Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) SAO Implementer Use Subject |
Encadrant d'intervention à distance Opérateur d'intervention à distance Organisateur du service Organisme Qualifié Agréé (OQA) System Designer |
| System Designer French: concepteur du système technique |
France | Human or Entity | The natural or legal person responsible for the design of the technical system used in a STRA. The designer prepares and maintains technical and safety documentation and interfaces with the service organizer, STRA operator, manufacturer, and OQA; one organization may occupy more than one role if the legal responsibilities remain clear. |
|
Hersteller [Germany] Manufacturer [UN ADS] Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology [California] |
Organisateur du service Organisme Qualifié Agréé (OQA) STRA Operator |
| Technical Service | UNECE 1958 Agreement | Entity | A body designated under the 1958 Agreement/type-approval system to carry out tests, inspections, or assessments on behalf of an approval authority. In the ADS materials, a residual GTR reference to ‘the approval authority or its designated technical service’ should be read against that type-approval background. |
|
Assessor / Competent Personnel [UN ADS] Organisme Qualifié Agréé (OQA) [France] |
Approval Authority |
| Technische Aufsicht English: technical supervision |
Germany | Human | A natural person who supervises an automated vehicle and can approve defined alternative manoeuvres or deactivate the automated function without continuously performing the driving task. German law defines the role by these functions, not by the person's location, so the approved arrangement may be remote or in-vehicle. | Operator [Switzerland] Platform Safety Monitoring Personnel (Beijing) Remote Monitor SAO Chief Supervisor |
Fahrzeugführer Halter Hersteller | |
| Testing Permit Holder - Driver Present | California | Entity | A manufacturer or other eligible entity holding a California permit to test autonomous vehicles with a qualified test driver present as required by the applicable permit. The holder must satisfy permit-specific testing, driver, financial-responsibility, collision-reporting, and recordkeeping requirements. |
|
Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder (UK) Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] Trial Permit Holder [Sweden] |
Autonomous-Vehicle Test Driver Manufacturer of Autonomous Technology Operator |
| Traffic Controller | Generic | Human | Traffic controller is a generic label for a person who lawfully directs traffic or provides external instructions. Depending on the instrument, the person may be treated as a road-safety agent, law-enforcement officer, road worker, or other road user. |
|
Road-Safety Agent [UN ADS] | First Responder Vulnerable Road User |
| Transport Service Operator | European Union | Entity | The entity that provides a transport service using one or more fully automated vehicles. It carries the operational duties assigned to the service side of an EU type-approved system, including instructions, restrictions, incident response, and coordination with the manufacturer and on-board or remote personnel. |
|
Fleet Operator Licensed NUiC Operator Organisateur du service (France) |
On-Board Operator Remote Intervention Operator |
| Trial Organization | Canada | Human or Entity | The organization conducting an ADS trial in Canada. Transport Canada's Version 2.0 testing guidelines recommend validation, safety assessment, route and weather controls, trained safety drivers or remote-operation personnel, passenger protections, first-responder engagement, incident practices, and coordination with provincial or territorial authorities. |
|
Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] Trial Permit Holder [Sweden] |
Driver Remote Assistant |
| Trial Permit Holder Swedish: tillståndshavare |
Sweden | Human or Entity | The permit holder is the person authorized to conduct automated-vehicle trials. The permit holder is responsible for safe conduct, allocation of responsibilities, required reporting, and accident notification. |
|
Automated Passenger Services (APS) Permit Holder (UK) Deployment Permit Holder [California] Driverless Testing Permit Holder [California] Pilot Proprietor [Hong Kong] Testing Permit Holder - Driver Present [California] Trial Organization [Canada] |
Person Deemed the Driver Responsible Person for Permit Compliance |
| Use Subject Chinese: 使用主体 |
China (national) | Entity | The 使用主体 (use subject) is the operating-side member of the consortium used in China's national ICV access and on-road pilot. An automobile manufacturer and a use subject apply jointly with host-city and provincial support. |
|
Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) Automated Driving Provider (ADP) Automated Driving System Entity (ADSE) Road-Application Pilot Entity [China (Beijing)] SAO Implementer STRA Operator |
Automobile Manufacturer (Pilot Consortium) Safety Operator |
| User-in-Charge (UiC) | United Kingdom | Human (only in-vehicle) | The individual associated with an authorised user-in-charge feature. While that feature drives, the UiC is generally protected from offences arising from the manner of driving but retains other driver-related duties and must be qualified and ready to respond to a transition demand. |
|
Autonomous Vehicle Driver [South Korea] Driver [France] Driver [Switzerland] Driver [UN Road Traffic Conventions (1949/1968)] Fallback User [UN ADS] Fallback-Ready User (FRU) [SAE J3016] In-Vehicle Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] Remote Fallback-Ready User [SAE J3016] |
Authorised Self-Driving Entity (ASDE) |
| Vulnerable Road User | Generic | Human | A human road user exposed to elevated injury risk because they lack a protective vehicle structure or use a powered two-wheeler. The category includes pedestrians and cyclists and can overlap with operational roles; for example, a human traffic controller working in the roadway can also be a vulnerable road user. |
|
— | First Responder Traffic Controller |
