Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 8-2901

As used in Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 8-2901 through 8-2910, and amendments thereto, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) “ADS-equipped vehicle” means a motor vehicle equipped with an automated driving system.

(b) “Automated driving system” means the hardware and software collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether the system is limited to a specific operational design domain, if any.

(c) “Conventional human driver” means a natural person who manually controls the in-vehicle accelerating, braking, steering and transmission gear selection input devices in order to operate a motor vehicle.

(d) “Driverless-capable vehicle” means an ADS-equipped vehicle capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task within the automated driving system’s operational design domain, if any, including, but not limited to, achievement of a minimal risk condition without intervention or supervision by a conventional human driver.

(e) (1) “Dynamic driving task” means all real-time operational and tactical functions required to operate a motor vehicle on a highway in traffic within an automated driving system’s specific operational design domain, if any.

(2) “Dynamic driving task” does not include any strategic function such as trip scheduling or the selection of destinations and waypoints.

(f) “Minimal risk condition” means a reasonably safe state to which an automated driving system brings an ADS-equipped vehicle upon experiencing a performance-relevant failure of the system that renders the system unable to perform the entire dynamic driving task, including, but not limited to, removing the vehicle to the nearest shoulder if the vehicle is capable of doing so, bringing the vehicle to a complete stop and activating the vehicle’s emergency signal lamps.

(g) “On-demand driverless-capable vehicle network” means a transportation network company as defined in Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-2702, and amendments thereto, that uses a software application or other digital means to dispatch driverless-capable vehicles for the purposes of transporting persons or goods, including, but not limited to, transportation for hire and public transportation.

(h) “Operational design domain” means a set of operating conditions under which a given automated driving system feature is specifically designed to function. “Operational design domain” includes, but is not limited to, environmental, geographical and time-of-day restrictions or the requisite presence or absence of certain traffic or roadway characteristics.

(i) “Transportation for hire” means all transportation of property or passengers made available by a person for compensation.