UK Government to review driving laws in preparation for self-driving vehicles
The UK government has commissioned a three-year regulatory review of driving laws to “pave the way for self -driving vehicles”.
In a statement issued today (6 March), the Department for Transport (DfT) said the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission will “examine any legal obstacles to the widespread introduction of self-driving vehicles and highlight the need for regulatory reforms”.
The Roads Minister, Jesse Norman said: “The UK is a world leader for self-driving vehicle research and development, and this work marks an important milestone in our continued commitment to the technology.
“With driving technology advancing at an unprecedented rate, it is important that our laws and regulations keep pace so that the UK can remain one of the world leaders in this field.”
The Law Commissions’ joint project will review and answer questions, such as:
- who is the ‘driver’ or responsible person for the vehicle
- how to allocate civil and criminal responsibility where there is some shared control in a human-machine interface
- the role of automated vehicles within public transport networks and emerging platforms for on-demand passenger transport, car sharing and new business models providing mobility as a service
- whether there is a need for new criminal offences to deal with novel types of conduct and interference
- what is the impact on other road users and how they can be protected from risk.
