Pre-implementation public attitudes toward the Czech legal framework for SAE level 3 automated driving

This article examines Act No. 130/2025 Coll. which, with effect from 1 January 2026, amended Act No. 361/2000 Coll. on Road Traffic and on Amendments to Certain Acts, and Act No. 56/2001 Coll. on Conditions of Operation of Vehicles on Roads, thereby establishing an operational framework for SAE Level 3 automated driving in the Czech Republic. It combines a legal-dogmatic analysis, a functional comparison of selected European regulatory regimes, and an empirical analysis of a national non-probability quota sample of Czech adults surveyed before implementation ( N = 1,003). The legal analysis shows that the Czech framework retains the person in the driver’s seat as a legally relevant fallback actor, conditionally disapplies selected driving-related duties when compliance is ensured by the automated system, requires immediate takeover upon request, and introduces mechanisms for verifying automated mode and for the vehicle operator’s administrative-offence defense. The comparison identifies Germany as the closest direct analogue, while France and the United Kingdom provide broader partial comparators and Sweden and the Netherlands serve primarily as testing-regime contrasts. In the sample achieved, prior awareness of the forthcoming framework was low. Age-cohort membership was associated with awareness and with responses to the regulatory scenario presented in the questionnaire, although both associations were small. Because the survey vignette described a general transfer of responsibility for driving to the manufacturer, the empirical results measure reactions to that stated scenario rather than informed acceptance of the Czech amendment or of any specific liability regime. The findings indicate that implementation will require legally precise public communication and post-implementation monitoring of public understanding and attitudes.