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MethodConcepts › Remote assistance

ROAT-CON-REMOTE-ASSISTANCE · concept

Remote assistance

Also: remote interaction (UNECE) · remote assistant · Fernunterstützung · vzdialená asistencia

Event-driven provision, by a remotely located human, of information or advice to an ADS-equipped vehicle in driverless operation so that the trip can continue when the automated driving system meets a situation it cannot manage. The ADS keeps performing the complete DDT and the fallback. The UNECE ADS group treats remote interaction and remote intervention as the same case of support for tactical functions while the ADS performs the entire DDT. The Observatory keeps assistance apart from intervention by one test: does the human only advise, or does the human issue commands that change vehicle behaviour.

Locus in the sources

SAE J3016_202104 – Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles — § 3.23, § 3.31.5
Remote assistance and the remote assistant; note 1 excludes real-time DDT performance.
Interpretation of remote intervention and remote interaction (ADS-21-71/Rev.3) — Revised text
Remote interaction and remote intervention not intended to convey different meanings.
Interpretation of EU Regulation 2022/1426 on the Type Approval of Automated Driving Systems: Addendum for Safety Management System and Remote Management — Appendix 2, § 2.1.1
Remote management as tactical or strategic input to the ADS.

Related concepts

Remote intervention · Remote driving

In Module 03 · column “Remote assistance” · snapshot 2026-09-07 review snapshot

Human roles in automated driving

RoleRemote assistance
Human driver
UNECE / 1968 Vienna Convention
No
ADS as functional substitute for driver requirement
UNECE / 1968 Vienna Convention
Possible interface
Remote assistance / remote interaction
UNECE ADS work / technical interpretation
Yes
Transport / service operator
European Union – Regulation (EU) 2022/1426
Arranged
Remote management function
European Union – Regulation (EU) 2022/1426 / JRC interpretation
Yes
Authorised self-driving entity / ADS legal-responsibility entity
Great Britain – Automated Vehicles Act 2024
Possible
User with limited in-vehicle legal duties during self-driving
Great Britain – Automated Vehicles Act 2024
No
No-user-in-charge operational entity
Great Britain – Automated Vehicles Act 2024
Arranged
Technical remote supervisor
Germany – StVG / AFGBV
Yes
Automated road transport system operator
France – STRA framework
Arranged
Authorised remote intervention person
France – STRA / automated-driving framework
Yes
In-vehicle operator during automated operation
Croatia – Road Traffic Safety Act
No remote
Remote intervention operator
Croatia – Road Traffic Safety Act
Yes
Licensed fully automated vehicle operator
Slovakia – parliamentary print 1329 (draft)
Arranged
Supervision operator
Slovakia – parliamentary print 1329 (draft)
Possible
Level 3 fallback-ready user
SAE J3016
No
Remote human driver
SAE J3016
No
Trip-dispatch / strategic user
SAE J3016
Possible
Prototype ADS fallback test driver
SAE J3018
Possible
In-vehicle prototype fallback test driver
SAE J3018
No
Remote prototype fallback test driver
SAE J3018
No
Safety driver in public-road AV testing
California – DMV testing regime
No
AV testing permit holder
California – DMV AV program
Arranged
Automated-vehicle trial permit holder
Sweden – Swedish Transport Agency
Arranged
ADS lifecycle safety entity
Australia – proposed Automated Vehicle Safety Law framework
Arranged
Driverless-operation permission holder
Japan – Road Traffic Act SAO framework
Arranged
Remote operational supervisor
Japan – Road Traffic Act SAO framework
Yes
Automated commercial vehicle pilot participant
Ontario, Canada – ACMV Pilot Program
Arranged
Driverless-test oversight assistant
Ontario, Canada – ACMV Pilot Program
Yes
Vehicle owner as statutory responsibility holder
Croatia – Road Traffic Safety Act
No
yesYes — the role performs this functionnoNo — it does notsysSystem — performed by the ADS, not a personQualified — the cell states the conditionNot codedYes …An outlined chip is a qualified answer: read the cell text, not the colour.

In Module 02 · column “Remote human role” · snapshot 2026-09-07 review snapshot

Post-type-approval deployment models

RegimeRemote human role
Germany – current lawTechnische Aufsicht – may deactivate and release specified manoeuvres; not ordinary continuous remote driving
France – current lawQualified remote intervention personnel integrated into system operation
Croatia – current lawRemote intervention role recognised; boundaries and concurrency remain implementation questions
Great Britain – 2026 transitional current lawNo German-style technical supervisor as universal core role; remote functions depend on operating model
China – current transitional regimeNo mature national standalone technical-supervisor/remote-operator role architecture yet
China – 2026 Road Traffic Safety Law draft prospectiveRemote human role remains underdeveloped in the draft
Slovakia – current law (31 Aug 2026)No general commercial FAV technical-supervision/control-centre role in force; supervising driver (dohliadajúci vodič) with remote takeover for automated delivery vehicles (Act 8/2009 § 2(2)(w), § 5(6))
Slovakia – CPT 1329 prospective model prospectiveSupervision operator + control centre; current draft boundary with remote driving needs correction

Cite this concept

ROAT Observatory, concept Remote assistance [ROAT-CON-REMOTE-ASSISTANCE], approved definition, 2026-09-07. Jozef Andraško. /method/concepts/remote-assistance/