Autonomous Vehicles Act: Reaction & Comment

IE has rounded up some comment to the recent news that the Autonomous Vehicles Act is now becoming law in the UK;

RAC

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:

“This is a major step on the road to autonomous vehicles appearing on the UK’s roads. But there’s lots of work still to do, not least bringing drivers along on the journey. RAC research conducted last year showed 58% of drivers are scared by the idea of fully autonomous vehicles and just 15% think they’ll make the roads safer, so there needs to be a real culture change if we’re to see the public fully embrace them.

“There are also some very practical hurdles to overcome, such as how the cars of tomorrow will be able to successfully and safely navigate the UK’s complex web of streets – especially with so many potholes and faded road markings.”

KENNEDYS

Deborah Newberry, corporate affairs lawyer at Kennedys, said: “This is an important development in the move towards seeing self-driving vehicles on UK roads, providing a legal framework upon which the regulatory detail is to be added.

“Insurers will be keen to see the secondary legislation that follows outlining, among other things, the provision of data by ‘authorised self-driving entities’ and ‘licensed no-user-in-charge operators’ following a collision, which will be crucial to establish who or what was in control of the vehicle at material times.

“Consultations to help shape this legislation, which is key to the successful implementation of the technology, are planned for later this year. However, it may be that the focus of such measures will resume following the General Election”.

ABI

Jonathan Fong, Manager for General Insurance Policy at the ABI said:

“With the Automated Vehicles Act having received Royal Assent, the UK has firmly put itself on the path to being world leaders on automated vehicle technology. The insurance industry has played a pivotal role in enabling and supporting its development which has the potential to drastically improve road safety.

“The industry has worked with Government from the outset to establish and define many of the requirements included in both the AV Act and previous legislation, and has also given researchers and developers the necessary support they need by providing insurance for trials so that they can test and improve AV capabilities.

“As this technology continues to evolve, so must the legislation and we look forward to further collaboration between insurers, government and the wider motor industry to address any potential roadblocks around data sharing, road safety and cyber security.”