Legislative Acts

Autonomous Driving Deployment Initiative

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Timeline

2026

• 2026.05.12 [Press Release] Ko uses a brick phone to criticize outdated rules and calls for AI vouchers and autonomous-driving deregulation Legislator JU CHUN KO’s office issued a press release stating that the AI cabinet cannot remain a slogan. From autonomous driving regulation and data governance to AI access and low-earth-orbit satellite services, the Executive Yuan should provide concrete progress so people in Taiwan can actually use and benefit from technology.

• 2026.05.12 [General Inquiry] Demand to accelerate autonomous driving regulation Legislator JU CHUN KO compared Taiwan’s outdated vehicle regulations to forcing everyone to use a 1980s brick phone instead of a modern smartphone. He pointed out that UNECE R79, adopted internationally in 1988, only became fully mandatory for all vehicle types in Taiwan in 2025. If Taiwan keeps moving at this pace on R171 and R157, people in Taiwan will use advanced transportation technologies 7 to 10 years later than other countries.

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• 2026.05.12 [Executive Yuan Response] One-month review promised Premier Cho Jung-tai responded that the Executive Yuan takes the proposal seriously and will ask the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to organize all concrete information currently held by the government, coordinate with Legislator Ko’s office, and provide study results within one month on RDW recognition and an FMVSS dual-track system.

• 2026.05.11 [MOTC Written Reply] R157 and R171 draft work has started MOTC stated that VSCC completed draft discussions for the latest UN R157 00 series revision (R157 00-S6) on March 17, 2026, and expects stakeholder communication before the end of May. Drafting for R157 01 and later revisions has also begun. UN R171 technical discussions were convened on March 17, with another meeting expected in mid-May to discuss draft revisions and new-vehicle implementation timing.

2025

• 2025.11.25 [General Inquiry] Call to allow FSD public-road testing Legislator JU CHUN KO stated during a Legislative Yuan policy inquiry that global autonomous driving technology has matured and Taiwan should not remain bound by outdated 2018 rules. He urged the Executive Yuan to create an inter-ministerial platform and study allowing Full Self-Driving (FSD) public-road testing so people in Taiwan do not become “third-class citizens in transportation technology.”

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• 2025.11.12 [International Progress] FSD entered Korea Korea adopted FMVSS recognition when the Korea-U.S. FTA took effect in 2012 and officially allowed FSD to enter Korea on November 12, 2025. This demonstrates a practical path for Taiwan: self-certification and post-market oversight can replace slow article-by-article translation and pre-market review.

• 2025.10 [Facility Launch] Changhua ARTC Smart Vehicle Autonomous Driving Test Site Built with a NT$1 billion investment from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the site supports all-weather and full-speed testing and can simulate extreme conditions such as dense fog and heavy rain, providing an international-grade verification environment for Taiwan’s autonomous driving industry.

• 2025.01.01 [Taiwan Progress] UN R79 03 series became mandatory for all vehicle types MOTC says Taiwan began harmonizing UNECE R79 in 2006, but R79 03 only became mandatory for all new vehicles in 2025. The latest R79 04 series is scheduled for new vehicle types in 2028 and existing vehicle types in 2030.

2024

• 2024.09 [International Regulation] UN R171 Part I adopted UN R171 governs Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS) for Level 2 driver assistance. Legislator Ko warned that if Taiwan keeps its current pace, full implementation may lag other countries by more than seven years, while R171 Parts II and III still lack a clear review schedule.

• 2024.05.27 [Committee Review] Transportation technology regulatory stagnation During committee review of the AI Basic Act, Legislator Ko raised serious concerns about the slow progress of amendments to the Unmanned Vehicle Technology Innovation Experimentation Act.

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2021

• 2021 [International Regulation] UN R157 on Automated Lane Keeping Systems announced UN R157 governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) for Level 3 automated driving. Legislator Ko noted that if Taiwan only reaches full mandatory implementation in 2031, it would again be roughly a decade behind.

2019

• 2019.02.25 [Facility Launch] Tainan Shalun Taiwan CAR Lab Taiwan’s first closed autonomous vehicle testing site opened, providing basic scenarios such as tunnels and pedestrian crossings.

2018

• 2018.12.19 [Legislation] Unmanned Vehicle Technology Innovation Experimentation Act promulgated The law established Taiwan’s autonomous vehicle sandbox mechanism, but development has remained largely confined to experimental frameworks rather than public-road deployment and broader use.

Brick-Phone Regulation Is Holding Taiwan Back

Imagine the government passing a rule that bans modern smartphones and requires everyone in Taiwan to use a 1980s brick phone. Everyone would see how absurd that is. Yet the same type of outdated thinking is happening in vehicle regulation.

UNECE R79 was adopted in 1988, but it only became fully mandatory for all new vehicle types in Taiwan in 2025. A nearly 40-year-old rule is still shaping whether people in Taiwan can access the latest transportation technology.

R79 is not the only constraint. UN R171 Part I, adopted in September 2024, governs Level 2 driver assistance. UN R157, announced in 2021, governs Level 3 Automated Lane Keeping Systems. If Taiwan continues to rely on years of translation, review, and delayed mandatory implementation, people in Taiwan will keep receiving the same technology 7 to 10 years later than other countries.

Taiwan Can See AI, But Cannot Use It

The Premier has said that Taiwan’s AI initiatives should let people “see AI technology and use AI technology.” Legislator Ko agrees. Autonomous driving is one of the clearest cases where Taiwan can see the technology but cannot fully use it.

Tesla’s next-generation AI5, AI6, and AI6.5 autonomous driving chips are closely tied to Taiwan’s advanced semiconductor supply chain. Taiwan can help manufacture the world’s most advanced autonomous driving chips, yet people in Taiwan cannot use the most advanced autonomous driving capabilities at the same pace as other countries. If Taiwan’s industries can lead in AI, its regulations should not hold them back.

In the same general inquiry, Legislator Ko also emphasized that data governance and AI access are part of whether people can truly “use AI.” The Executive Yuan’s draft Act for Promoting Data Innovation and Utilization has been stalled for more than 194 days, and the pre-announced draft used permissive language throughout instead of assigning clear government duties. He also warned that the gap between free and paid AI tools could widen education, income, and urban-rural divides. Ko therefore asked the Executive Yuan to study an “AI voucher,” “digital voucher,” or similar program modeled on Taiwan’s culture voucher so AI access does not serve only a small minority.

Two Concrete Solutions

1. Recognize Dutch RDW Approvals

In April 2026, the Dutch vehicle authority RDW approved Tesla FSD Supervised for highway use, making the Netherlands the first European country to open the feature. RDW stated that proper use of driver-assistance systems can improve road safety and that the system is safer than comparable systems.

Taiwan is not a UNECE member, but its vehicle regulations heavily reference the UNECE framework. If Taiwan learns from Europe, it should not only copy the rigid parts. It should also learn from Europe’s mutual recognition mechanisms.

Taiwan’s Vehicle Safety Certification Center (VSCC) has had a close partnership with RDW since 2011. In 2012, VSCC signed an agreement allowing it to perform EU Conformity of Production checks in Taiwan on RDW’s behalf, helping Taiwanese vehicle companies obtain EU approvals. With more than a decade of cooperation, Taiwan has a practical foundation to recognize RDW approval results.

2. Add an FMVSS Self-Certification Track

The U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) use a self-certification system. Manufacturers certify compliance, retain test data, and bring vehicles to market. Government then enforces through post-market testing, recalls, and penalties.

Korea adopted FMVSS recognition when the Korea-U.S. FTA took effect in 2012 and officially allowed FSD to enter Korea on November 12, 2025. Taiwan can follow the Korea model by establishing a dual-track system that accepts both European rules and FMVSS self-certification, rather than forcing companies and consumers through long translation and pre-market review cycles.

This is not deregulation. It is a shift from paperwork-heavy pre-approval toward more effective post-market audits, recalls, and accountability.

Latest Regulatory Status

UN R79 Steering Equipment

MOTC says Taiwan began harmonizing UNECE R79 in 2006 and established the vehicle safety inspection standard for steering systems. Current implementation is as follows:

UN R157 Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS)

MOTC instructed VSCC to complete draft discussions for the latest R157 00 series revision (R157 00-S6) on March 17, 2026. Stakeholder communication is expected before the end of May 2026, followed by legal procedures.

Drafting for R157 01 and later revisions has also begun and will be discussed with vehicle industry associations and companies. MOTC has also commissioned professional support for autonomous vehicle regulatory adaptation and launched stakeholder meetings on April 22, 2026.

UN R171 Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS)

MOTC instructed VSCC to convene vehicle industry associations and companies on March 17, 2026 to discuss technical content for the draft. Because the content is extensive, discussion has not been completed. VSCC expects to convene another meeting before mid-May 2026 to discuss revised drafts and new-vehicle implementation timing before moving through legal procedures.

Road Safety Cannot Wait

Road traffic crashes remain a major global public health challenge. The World Health Organization has reported that roughly 1.35 million people die in road traffic crashes each year, and more than 90% of crashes are linked to human error. Fatigue, distraction, drunk driving, and speeding are exactly the types of risks autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems can help reduce.

Tesla’s 2024 safety report also showed that vehicles using FSD (Full Self-Driving) had a collision rate five times lower than human drivers on urban roads, and were seven times safer across combined road types including highways. AI does not get tired, distracted, or emotional, and can help evaluate risk in milliseconds.

Taiwan recorded 2,950 traffic deaths in 2024, meaning more than eight people died in traffic crashes every day. Autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems are not technology for show. They are tools to reduce human error and protect lives.

Every day the government delays responsible deployment of verified and accountable driving technology, the public remains exposed to risks that could be reduced. Taiwan cannot call itself an AI cabinet while leaving transportation regulation in the past.

Regulatory Safeguards

Autonomous driving spans multiple agencies: MOTC oversees road use and vehicle rules, the Ministry of Economic Affairs handles industrial policy, the National Science and Technology Council supports R&D, and financial regulators are relevant to insurance and liability. Past fragmentation has slowed progress, so the Executive Yuan should establish an inter-ministerial platform to inventory rules and clarify responsibility.

Allowing mature systems such as FSD does not mean an uncontrolled opening. It should be a conditioned, evidence-based deployment. Safeguards can include requiring safety drivers for test vehicles, defining specific routes and time windows, establishing real-time data reporting and incident investigation mechanisms, and regularly reviewing safety metrics before scaling deployment.

Liability rules should also be clearly separated: when a system operates in ADAS mode, the human driver must remain ready to take over and retains responsibility; when a system operates in ADS mode and fully controls the vehicle, responsibility should shift to the manufacturer or operator. Clear liability protects users and forces manufacturers to internalize safety obligations.

Industrial and Social Benefits

Taiwan has a world-class semiconductor and automotive electronics supply chain. TSMC chips and companies such as Foxconn and Pegatron are important partners in the global smart-vehicle industry. But without real-road testing and deployment environments, local companies cannot accumulate the data, software experience, and system-integration capabilities needed to move up the value chain.

Responsible deployment would let AI learn Taiwan-specific traffic patterns, including dense scooter flows, complex intersections, and local driving norms. It can also help logistics, bus, taxi, and other transport sectors facing professional driver shortages. This is a key step for Taiwan to move from “made in Taiwan” to “created in Taiwan.”

Next Steps Requested

Legislator JU CHUN KO has asked the Executive Yuan and MOTC to provide concrete answers within one month, including:

1. Inventory the harmonization, announcement, and mandatory implementation schedules for UN R79, R157, R171, and related transportation technology rules.
2. Study recognition of Dutch RDW approvals for FSD Supervised and other advanced driver-assistance systems.
3. Study adoption of FMVSS self-certification and post-market testing to create a dual European/U.S. regulatory track.
4. Establish an inter-ministerial regulatory adaptation platform covering vehicle safety, road use, insurance liability, data governance, and crash investigation.
5. Publicly explain the timeline for allowing people in Taiwan to use advanced transportation technology in sync with other countries.

Autonomous driving is not science fiction. It is already happening worldwide. Taiwan should not let regulatory inertia make its people second-class citizens in transportation technology. Support Legislator JU CHUN KO’s initiative to make Taiwan’s roads safer and its industries more competitive.