Germany approves Mercedes-Benz semi-autonomous driving system

Next year, Mercedes-Benz will introduce what it claims is the world's first semi-autonomous driving system on the German market following approval from the regulatory authorities, in a move that could see the company offering its Drive Pilot system in other parts of the world.

In a statement, the automaker said that the system allowed the driver to focus on other activities while stuck in congestion.

"With this milestone, we are once again proving our pioneering work in automated driving and also initiating a radical paradigm shift," Daimler Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer said.

Read more: General Motors invests $300m into Chinese self-driving car startup Momenta

He added that as soon as the legislation in the US and China was passed, the company would offer its product in those countries too.

Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) gave the green light to Drive Pilot, which will be offered on the high-end Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan in the first half of 2022.

The approval was made based on UN technical guidelines. In a press release KBA President Richard Damm said: "The KBA is setting national, European and international standards in road safety on the road to autonomous driving."

According to Mercedes-Benz, there are over 13,100 km (8,140 miles) of suitable highways for the Drive Pilot system in Germany.

Read more: Germany aims to have self-driving vehicles on roads by 2022

The KBA gave the system the all-clear for driving speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour). Germany's motor watchdog has yet to decide whether to approve it for speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour, or a lane-change assistant that would automate overtaking another car.

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