SAE J3106™ Level 4

SAE Level 4 - High Driving Automation

At Level 4, an automated driving system can perform all driving tasks and monitor the driving environment for an entire trip, with no human intervention required in certain operating conditions.

Key Capabilities of Level 4 Systems

• Can complete full door-to-door trips without a driver
• Operate without a human driver or occupants in the vehicle
• Still have limitations in areas of operation (geographic areas, speeds, weather, etc.)

Level 4 represents true self-driving or driverless capabilities, but only within specific operational design domains (ODDs) defined by factors like location, road type, speed range, weather/lighting conditions, etc. Outside of these approved domains, the system cannot operate.

Examples of Level 4 Deployments

• Waymo One driverless taxi service (in limited Phoenix area)
• Cruise driverless ride-hailing (in select San Francisco neighborhoods)
• Baidu Apollo Ride robotaxi service (in Beijing, Guangzhou, etc.)

These are geofenced services that provide self-driving mobility within defined service areas and conditions. The vehicles do not require human occupants for transportation.

Human Role and Vehicle Design

At Level 4, there is no expectation for a human driver to ever request control of the vehicle. Vehicles may have user interfaces to start a trip and input a destination, but no driver controls. Some Level 4 vehicles may have manual controls like steering wheels and pedals for mobility across different operational domains. However, many are designed without these traditional driving controls entirely. The key distinction from Level 5 is that Level 4 vehicles cannot operate outside their specific operational design domain. If conditions prevent operation, the vehicle must safely stop until conditions allow the automated system to resume, or until a human driver takes over (if the vehicle has manual controls). Level 4 automation enables self-driving mobility within constrained areas and use cases. But Level 5 represents full driving automation capabilities under all conditions a human could reasonably encounter.