With the enactment of Automated Vehicles Law, there will be self-driving vehicles on British roads by 2026.
Announced in the King’s Speech, the AV Act enables advanced technology to safely drive vehicles on British roads. The new law puts Great Britain firmly at the forefront of self-driving technology regulation, unlocking the potential of an industry estimated to be worth up to £42 billion and creating 38,000 more skilled jobs by 2035.
Road safety contributes to 88% of road collisions, to reduce the number of accidents and keeping the safety of citizens in view the law was enforced with expectations that the automated vehicles will improve road safety by reducing human error.
The law will require self-driving vehicles to achieve a level of safety at least as high as careful and competent human drivers, as well as meeting rigorous safety checks before being allowed onto roads. Therefore, in the future deaths and injuries from drink driving, speeding, tiredness and inattention could be drastically reduced.
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said, “Britain stands at the threshold of an automotive revolution and this new law is a milestone moment for our self-driving industry, which has the potential to change the way we travel forever.
“While this doesn’t take away people’s ability to choose to drive themselves, our landmark legislation means self-driving vehicles can be rolled out on British roads as soon as 2026, in a real boost to both safety and our economy.”
UK’s position as world leader in emerging industries
Between 2018 and 2022, the UK self-driving vehicle sector alone generated £475 million of direct investment and created 1,500 new jobs. Self-driving vehicles could support areas previously impacted by driver shortages, such as haulage, and where work can be dangerous, such as mining.
The passage of the act bolsters the UK’s position as a world leader in emerging industries, with both the self-driving vehicle and AI sectors bringing huge potential for economic growth as they develop.
The AV Act follows self-driving trials already taking place across the country. For example, home-grown British success stories Wayve and Oxa are trailing self-driving cars in London and Oxford. This month it was revealed Wayve had secured more than $1 billion in investment to develop its AI technology further here in the UK.
Wayve has said that their technological advancements have been supported by the UK’s Code of practice: automated vehicle trialing, which sets out a clear framework to support and promote the safe trailing of self-driving vehicle technology.
The act delivers the most comprehensive legal framework of its kind worldwide, setting out who is liable for AVs meaning that drivers can be assured that, while their vehicle is in self-driving mode, they will not be held responsible for how the vehicle drives. For the first time, corporations such as insurance providers, software developers and automotive manufacturers can assume this responsibility.
To ensure these vehicles are safe for British roads, the vehicle approval system will be supported by a completely independent incident investigation function. This will promote the same culture of learning and continuous improvement that has made our aviation industry one of the safest in the world. Companies will have ongoing obligations to keep their vehicles safe and ensure that they continue to drive in accordance with British laws.
Self-driving vehicles improving mobility and connectivity
Trials show how self-driving vehicles can be used to improve the lives of millions of Brits – improving mobility and access to services, reducing isolation and better connecting rural communities. The act opens up vehicle use to millions who haven’t been able to do so previously, boosting transport accessibility across the country.
Paul Newman, Founder and CTO of Oxa, said, “The immense work put in by DfT, Law Commissions and CCAV in crafting the Automated Vehicles Bill has helped it pass into law with the strongest cross-party backing. We now have autonomous vehicle legislation, which is more comprehensive in scope and clearer in its requirements than in any other country.”
Alex Kendall, Co-founder and CEO of Wayve, said, “Self-driving technology promises a safer, smarter and more sustainable future of transport. There’s still some way to go with secondary legislation before we can reap the full benefits of self-driving vehicles in the UK, but we are confident the government will prioritize these next steps so this technology can be deployed as soon as possible.”
