King’s Speech: UK steers towards self-driving future with new bill
Author : Sophia Bell, Group Editor, Connectivity
08 November 2023
(Image: Shutterstock)
The UK Government has unveiled plans to introduce an Automated Vehicles Bill aimed at ushering in a new era of self-driving vehicles on British roads.
The bill, announced during the King's Speech, is expected to "unlock a transport revolution" by ensuring the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.
The primary objective of the bill is to clarify accountability when accidents or injuries occur, with a focus on protecting users of self-driving vehicles from being held accountable for incidents that take place while the self-driving function is active.
Key highlights of the bill:
Legal liability
The bill proposes a legal framework in which companies, rather than individuals, are responsible for self-driving vehicles while they are in autonomous mode only the driver. This framework implements recommendations from the Law Commission following a comprehensive four-year review.
“We believe that’s a common-sense approach which both protects the consumers and ensures they’re not unfairly held accountable,” asserted the Prime Minister’s official spokesman.
“Clearly, if a vehicle is driving itself, it’s right that the company, rather than the individual, is responsible for the way it is driven.
“The non-driving responsibilities still remain with that person and we think that strikes the right balance and will be in line with the approach taken elsewhere.”
Ongoing company responsibility
The bill establishes a clear threshold for self-driving vehicles, permitting only those capable of safely operating without human intervention to be classified as ‘self-driving’.
The Department for Transport will gain new powers to authorise such vehicles and ensure compliance with updated safety standards.
Once authorised, companies will bear the responsibility of maintaining the safety of their vehicles and ensuring their compliance with British laws. They must regularly report specific safety-related data to the authorising body and the in-use regulator, as well as adhering to data protection and environmental conservation standards.
Local authorities will collaborate with the Government in enforcing these regulations, ensuring information is recorded on a central database whenever they set speed limits, close roads, or designate parking bays. This data will be used to create a digital map of the UK road network to support the operation of self-driving vehicles.
Failure to comply with the new regulations will result in penalties, including fines, corrective actions, and suspension of operation.
Safety benefits
In 2021, human error was responsible for 88 percent of recorded accidents on UK roads. Meanwhile, the Institute for Engineering and Technology (IET) claims that, for every 10,000 errors made by human drivers, a self-driving vehicle might make just one. As such, the introduction of automated vehicles could significantly reduce costs, injuries and fatalities, empowering people to travel more safely and efficiently.
Protecting consumers
The bill also clamps down on misleading marketing, allowing only vehicles meeting safety thresholds to be marketed as self-driving. This ensures consumers are aware of their legal responsibilities when using self-driving vehicles.
Other considerations
Whilst the bill has been largely welcomed by industry and the legal sector, there are still several aspects that need to be ironed out before we see self-driving cars on UK roads.
RAC Head of Policy, Simon Williams, emphasised the importance of addressing the state of UK roads to ensure they are safe for self-driving vehicles and minimise potential damage caused by road conditions. “It’s hard to fathom how driverless cars will be able to safely navigate our streets when so many road markings are faded, and then there’s the prospect of vehicles getting needlessly damaged by the UK’s pothole plague as they surely won’t be programmed to avoid them,” he pointed out.
Insurance firm Allianz has also called for the legislation to address data access. "Swift delivery of unbiased information following an incident is crucial to insurers, law enforcement and the road users they work on behalf of," explained Alexandra Wyard, Underwriting Director of Allianz Personal.
"Ultimately, how data is accessed and used needs to be open and transparent, and drivers need to feel confident with how their data is being managed.”
Accessibility is another important consideration. Iain Stewart MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee, commended the Government's commitment to positioning the UK “a world leader” in developing self-driving vehicles. However, he also urged the Government and the industry to ensure that passengers with accessibility needs are not overlooked when implementing such technologies in public transport, “as is far too often the case".
Nonetheless, the Automated Vehicles Bill is expected to release the massive growth potential of the self-driving vehicle sector in the UK. The Government claims that the market could be worth up to £42 billion and generate 38,000 skilled jobs by 2035, helping to stimulate economic growth.