Users of driverless vehicles will not be liable for any fatal collisions with pedestrians under new rules laid out in the King’s Speech.
A new safety framework is to be introduced that will ensure companies producing self-driving vehicles are responsible for how their cars behave on the road.
Every authorised self-driving vehicle will be given a corresponding ‘entity’ – often the manufacturer – which will be responsible for the car’s behaviour during operation. Companies will also have obligations to keep their vehicles safe and ensure that they continue to drive in accordance with UK laws.
Over the last decade, progress has stalled on autonomous vehicles on both sides of the Atlantic, despite predictions that they would be commonplace by now. While the technology already exists for autonomous vehicles to drive relatively safely on UK roads, legislation has held it back from hitting the mainstream.
Some studies suggests that self-driving vehicles could help reduce deaths and injuries from drink driving, speeding and driver tiredness by up to 88 per cent due to removing human error as a contributory factor.
The government also said it would introduce tests to ensure that only vehicles that meet rigorous standards could be marketed as self-driving.
The Bill will also prohibit misleading market practices such as using ambiguous terminology in advertising material around whether their vehicles are classified as self-driving.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recently warned the government that failure to roll out the technology in a timely fashion could see the UK lose out on a £66bn economic boost as an early adopter of the technology.
MPs on the cross-party Transport Commission have also called for road rules to be swiftly implemented to allow the new technology to proliferate, but warned it could worsen congestion and exacerbate existing inequalities in transport access if not implemented properly.
Transport secretary Mark Harper said: “Our new Bill ensures safety is at the heart of our plans to see self-driving vehicles on our roads, making the UK a great place to develop this technology.
“We have the opportunity to put the UK at the forefront of a fast-growing, multi-billion-pound industry by providing the clarity and certainty for business to develop and invest in this exciting technology.”
Alex Kendall, CEO of self-driving car firm Wayve, said: “Today’s announcement that the government will bring forward legislation for self-driving signals to the global self-driving industry that the UK government is committed to fostering innovation for the future of transport.
“By setting out a clear path to commercialisation, new primary legislation for self-driving vehicles gives us the confidence to continue investing in research and development and growing our talent base here in the UK.”
