Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Accepted
Self-driving vehicles must not impose new burdens on other road users or pedestrians.
Conclusion
The introduction of self-driving vehicles to the UK’s roads will affect all road users. We believe that this should not impose new responsibilities on other road users and pedestrians, limit their access to, or use of, public infrastructure or, crucially, make them less safe. (Paragraph 64) 36 Self-driving vehicles What other risks do self-driving vehicles pose?
Government Response Summary
The government accepts this recommendation and highlights the Automated Vehicles Bill, which will establish clear legal liability for companies, create a comprehensive safety framework with ongoing requirements and sanctions, enable new incident investigation processes, and protect consumers from misleading marketing.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government accepts this recommendation. The Government agrees that the sector is a success and that our competitive advantage must be maintained. The Government thanks the Committee for recognising the Government’s part in this progress to date, and is delighted to be able to bring the Automated Vehicles Bill to the fourth Parliamentary session, as announced in the King’s Speech on 7 November 2023. The Automated Vehicles Bill implements the recommendations of the four-year review of regulation for self-driving vehicles carried out by the Law Commissions. It is intended to set the legal framework for the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles in Great Britain. The Bill includes three key provisions: • To ensure there is clear legal liability, giving drivers immunity from prosecution when a self-driving system is engaged as well as setting out responsibility for companies that develop and operate self-driving vehicles on our roads. • To create a comprehensive safety framework for self-driving vehicles including: • thresholds for authorisation of self-driving vehicles, • continuing safety requirements for self-driving vehicles, backed by including new sanctions and penalties if companies fail in their duty. • enabling new incident investigation processes designed to ensure safety lessons are fed back into the safety framework. • making road information available digitally in order to support the safe operation of self-driving vehicles. • To protect consumers by prohibiting misleading marketing. Only vehicles that meet the safety threshold can be marketed as self-driving. The Bill sets out a flexible framework that can be adapted to address new use cases, new business models and new technology development. Concluding remark The Government thanks the Committee for their continuing scrutiny and thoughtful recommendations. The Government looks forward to continuing the progress made both across Departments and working with industry and stakeholders to introduce self-driving vehicles to our UK roads in a safe and secure manner.