Motoring laws to be reviewed for driverless cars.

I can’t wait for driverless cars to be legal, the idea of being able to do something constructive whilst being driven for me is very appealing and the fact is - driverless cars are coming!

But before they arrive the government has decided that it needs to conduct a full review of motoring laws, which will consider, amongst other things 'responsibilities'.

The government has long championed the driverless car and the review is planned to take three years the timescales fit with the plan that driverless cars will be on our roads by 2021.

The review will be conducted by the Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland who will consider human ‘responsibility’ when there is not actually a human driving - not an easy one.

When you begin to look at responsibilities for autonomous taxis, buses, vehicle sharing, delivery vans, trucks etc and their interaction with others, not just the passengers, the issues become even more complicated.

The next 10 years will see major changes on the roads and it’s hoped for the better with increased safety and, because of the time saved, increased productivity.

Worldwide there is one fatality for every 60 million miles driven, whilst in testing, autonomous vehicles have covered 150 million miles with one fatality, some people will argue that it’s not the real world, how many school runs did it complete, or how did it get on with the M25 at rush hour? So when do the tests end, I guess when someone has faith in the system and with 1,800 deaths on our roads last year and 25,000 people injured, I am hoping that autonomous cars are the answer to improving road safety.

If Britain does take the lead in autonomous cars it could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. We have a head start on other countries as we did not ratify Laws under the Geneva convention that state “every driver shall at all times be able to control his vehicle” whilst many of our industrial competitors did. Automated cars have been tested on our roads for some time now but with someone behind the wheel, it’s only months until fully driverless cars will be tested.

(UPDATE)

Automated Vehicles Bill:

The Automated Vehicles (AV) Bill, introduced in November 2023, positions the UK as a global leader in regulating self-driving technology.

Key highlights of the bill include:

• Safety Focus: The bill prioritises safety by ensuring that self-driving vehicles meet rigorous safety requirements before being allowed on UK roads.
• Liability Clarity: It establishes clear liability for users of self-driving cars.
• Safety Threshold: The bill sets a safety threshold for legal self-driving.
• In-Use Regulatory Scheme: An ongoing regulatory scheme monitors the safety of self-driving vehicles during their operation.

The AV Bill aims to reduce road accidents caused by human error, such as drink driving, speeding, and driver fatigue.

Operational Requirements:

For testing purposes, self-driving vehicles must adhere to three main legal requirements:
• The test vehicle must be roadworthy.
• It should be appropriately insured.
• An operative (who need not be physically in the vehicle) must be ready to reassume control if necessary, even remotely from a tracking vehicle.

Wider Context:

The UK government has been actively supporting trials of self-driving technologies through funding initiatives like the £66 million Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility fund.
These efforts contribute to making the UK a hub for this high-tech and high-growth industry.

In summary, the UK’s legal framework for driverless cars emphasises safety, liability, and robust testing, positioning the country at the forefront of self-driving technology regulation.