The United Kingdom has officially adopted its self-titled “world-leading” self-driving car regulations with the enactment of the Automated Vehicles Act, which has received the final approval required for it to become part of the law.
The British government anticipates that autonomous vehicles will be operational on the nation’s roads within the next two years.
“The introduction of our groundbreaking legislation paves the way for self-driving cars to be deployed on UK streets as early as 2026, without removing the option for individuals to drive themselves. This represents a significant advancement for both safety and the economy,” stated Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
This announcement follows the recent news that Wayve, a UK-based company, secured over $1 billion in funding from notable firms such as SoftBank, Nvidia, and Microsoft to further develop its autonomous vehicle self-learning software.
Similar to other nations, the UK has allowed the testing of driverless cars on public roads for quite some time, albeit under stringent conditions for companies wishing to test new technologies. However, with the maturation and readiness of the autonomous vehicle sector for mainstream adoption, the necessity for updated legal structures became clear.
The groundwork for the AV Act began years earlier, but it was officially proposed in a 2022 report by the Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland. The report highlighted that the emergence of autonomous vehicles necessitates the creation of a “new vocabulary, new legal entities, and new regulatory frameworks.”
“The introduction of automated vehicles will have profound legal consequences… it requires new regulatory schemes and new actors (with new responsibilities and liabilities). We therefore recommend primary legislation — a new Automated Vehicles Act — to regulate automated vehicle on roads or other public places in Great Britain.
Automated Vehicles: joint report of the The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission
Liability in case of a self-driving car accident
The United Kingdom is keen to be a leader in the autonomous vehicle industry, investing in numerous projects and safety research initiatives. The British government has highlighted the safety advantages of autonomous vehicles, particularly their ability to eliminate human mistakes on the road. However, it recognizes that accidents will still occur, as demonstrated by incidents in the United States, where autonomous vehicles are more prevalent. Additionally, California has become a central area for the development of proposed regulations for autonomous vehicles.
Liability is a key aspect of the U.K.’s recent regulations regarding autonomous vehicles, focusing on the question of who is accountable in the event of an accident. The U.K. addressed this issue in 2022 with a roadmap indicating that under the new laws, companies will be held accountable for any accidents, ensuring that “a human driver would not be held responsible for incidents that occur while the vehicle is autonomously driving.”
Each authorized autonomous vehicle will be linked to an “Authorised Self-Driving Entity,” which will typically be the manufacturer, but could also be the software developer or the insurance company. This entity will assume responsibility when the vehicle’s self-driving mode is engaged.
The government plans to establish a vehicle certification system supported by an “entirely independent incident investigation body.” Companies that receive authorization to operate within the new legal framework will be required to fulfill “continuous responsibilities” to maintain the safety of their vehicles.