Public Input Sought on the Future Development of Autonomous Vehicles by Government Authorities
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) have launched consultations aimed at shaping the future of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the UK. The consultations propose a Statement of Safety Principles and guidelines for protected marketing terms.
The Statement of Safety Principles emphasizes proactive, scenario-based safety and transparency. Key elements include:
- Anticipatory Safety: AVs must proactively detect hazards rather than rely solely on reactive measures.
- Dynamic Risk Management: Safety measures should be based on real-time conditions rather than fixed parameters like speed.
- Explicit recognition of motorcyclists: AVs should safely detect and interact with motorcyclists, avoiding generic terms like “vulnerable road user” to ensure clarity.
- Comprehensive monitoring and testing: This includes scenario-based testing, continuous real-world performance monitoring, and stakeholder engagement, to ensure measurable safety improvements.
- Annual reporting requirements: AV performance should be compared to human drivers, with data disaggregated by road user type, particularly to safeguard motorcyclist safety outcomes.
Regarding protected marketing terms, the consultations call for legislation that restricts the use of terms such as "automated vehicle" and related phrases in marketing only to vehicles authorised under the UK Automated and Electric Vehicles Act (AVA). This means marketing claims about automation must be truthful, ensuring that only vehicles capable of fully driving themselves without human control or monitoring can be advertised as automated.
The consultations, published on 21 July, focus on the Consultation on Passenger vehicles, the Statement of Safety Principles call for evidence, and the protected marketing consultation. The protected marketing consultation aims to protect certain terms for marketing vehicles authorized as automated.
The proposed list of protected marketing terms includes self-driving, drive itself, driverless, automated driving, autonomous driving, and drive autonomously. The consultations also invite suggestions to expand the list to include versions of words such as robotaxi and robodrive, autopilot, and self-pilot.
The UK government has three goals for the pilot scheme: providing clarity for organizations, gaining insights into in-use challenges and benefits of AVs, and using the data to improve the regulatory framework for automated vehicles. The first step in achieving the regulation for the pilot scheme is the current consultation.
The government plans to fast-track commercial pilots of automated vehicles from spring 2026. Both the Statement of Safety Principles and protections on marketing terms are planned for implementation in England, Wales, and Scotland by the second half of 2027.
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 received Royal Assent in the year preceding the last general election. The Act requires a significant number of regulations before implementation. Peter Allchorne and Michael McCabe, partners and a solicitor respectively at international law firm DAC Beachcroft, have been closely involved in the development of the regulations.
In summary, the UK framework seeks to ensure genuine safety improvements and clear consumer transparency in the rollout of autonomous vehicle technology. The consultations invite suggestions from the public and stakeholders, offering an opportunity for everyone to have a say in shaping the future of AVs in the UK.
[1] Source: UK Government Consultation on Automated Vehicles
[3] Source: UK Government Consultation on Protected Marketing Terms for Automated Vehicles
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