By 2026 it is expected there will be self-driving cars up and down the country on the roads. On the 20th of May, a new law came into effect after much stipulation around the legalities and safety of self-driving cars.
The new legislation is all about road safety with self-driving vehicles set up to improve road safety and reduce human error. The Department for Transport says human error contributes to 88% of road collisions. They have said that with self-driving vehicles we should have a large reduction in injuries, deaths, speeding and tiredness in the future. This technology being introduced is set to save lives and reduce serious incidents on the road in the UK.
The new law in place requires all self-driving vehicles to meet a certain level of safety which is as competent as a human driver. There will be rigorous safety checks in place that all self-driving vehicles must pass before they are allowed to be on the roads in the UK.
The introduction of this will see the UK reach a critical milestone for the deployment of self-driving vehicles and will change the way we drive for the inevitable future.
A main concern and legal issue that comes with self-driving vehicles is the liability of the vehicle when an incident occurs. The legal framework says that automotive manufacturers, software developers as well as insurance companies that cover the vehicle will be the ones liable if the vehicle is in self-driving mode. So, the driver will not be held responsible when it is in its autonomous setting; even if drive input is required.
To ensure these self-driving vehicles are safe to be on the road in the UK there will be a vehicle approval system that will have an independent incident investigation function. Along with this, companies will have the obligation to ensure all their vehicles are kept safe and follow all laws.
This law is a big step for British roads, with the roads set to be a much safer place for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists with a reduction of human error. It will be interesting to see the evolution of this technology with the law being introduced to see what the future holds in 2026. Will you be looking at getting a car with self-driving technology?
Check the Ford Mustang Mach-E which has, currently, the only legal hands-free driving technology at the moment, with their system BlueCruise.