Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Deferred
Paragraph: 63
Require Government to develop a strategy for the future of human driving skills.
Recommendation
Greater automation will reduce time spent driving. Over time drivers may become less practised and therefore less skilled. Conversely, the demands on drivers will grow as they will be called upon to retake control of vehicles in challenging circumstances with little notice. The Government should set out a strategy for the future of human driving in a world of self-driving vehicles. This should include possible changes to driving tests and a plan to ensure that all drivers fully understand self-driving vehicles and both acquire and maintain the necessary skills for taking control of a vehicle in all circumstances.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government partially accepts, but then deflects the recommendation regarding a strategy for human driving skills and testing to focus instead on plans for digitising Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) via the Automated Vehicles Bill and the National Highways Digital Roads programme to support self-driving infrastructure.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
63
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
The Government partially accepts this recommendation. As set out in CAM 2025 and the recently announced Automated Vehicles Bill, a vehicle will not be considered as self-driving if human monitoring or intervention is needed in order for the vehicle to drive safely and legally. If a human is needed to monitor or control the driving, any system fitted on the vehicle is considered driver assistance - the driver must remain engaged at all times and is responsible at all times A self-driving system must be capable of driving safely and legally when engaged (noting that a system may only be engaged under certain circumstances). If a self-driving system can only undertake part of a journey, for example motorway driving only, a driver will be required for the remainder of the journey. Any hand-over from the system to the driver must be safe and will be regulated by the Government. A hand-over, known as a ‘transition demand’, must meet specific safety criteria which include allowing sufficient time for the driver to safely re-take control. The Government recognises that driver skills must be kept up to date and must remain sufficient to ensure the safety of the vehicle they are driving. The Government keeps the law under review so that it is fit for purpose and there is an ongoing evolution of driver testing. For example, the safe use of sat nav is now included in the driving test. As part of the Government’s CAVPASS safety assurance programme, work is underway to consider the education, training and licensing needs of drivers and the wider public in relation to self-driving vehicles. Changes have already been made to The Highway Code to support driver understanding of self-driving technology, and a communication toolkit has been developed for those who may be selling self-driving vehicles in the future. Recommendation 4: The Government has put good structures in place, but it is not enough just to participate in or facilitate conversations about unresolved policy issues, including access to data, verifying roadworthiness, legal liability and insurance implications. If self-driving vehicles are to be deployed on our roads by 2025, safely and successfully, the Government must take the lead to resolve these issues.
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