SAE Levels of Driving Automation
Last modified: Aug 03, 2026
The SAE Levels of Driving Automation classify what a driving-automation feature does and who must perform the remaining driving task. The scale applies to a feature in a defined operating domain, not permanently to an entire vehicle.
The six levels
- Level 0 — No Driving Automation: The driver performs steering, acceleration, and braking. Warnings and momentary interventions may still be present.
- Level 1 — Driver Assistance: The feature continuously controls either steering or speed and following distance. The driver performs the rest and monitors the road.
- Level 2 — Partial Driving Automation: The feature continuously controls steering and speed together. The driver still monitors the road and must intervene immediately.
- Level 3 — Conditional Driving Automation: The feature performs the complete driving task within its domain, but the user must be available to take over when requested.
- Level 4 — High Driving Automation: The feature performs the driving task and fallback within its domain. It does not require a receptive fallback-ready user there.
- Level 5 — Full Driving Automation: The system can perform the driving task under all roadway and environmental conditions that a human driver could manage.
Levels describe responsibility and fallback, not simply how advanced the sensors appear. One vehicle can offer different features at different levels, and a Level 2 feature does not become Level 3 because the driver looks away.
For the dynamic driving task, operating domains, and detailed distinctions, see SAE Levels of Driving Automation: What Each Level Means.