A group of Members of Parliament (MPs) is calling on the government to urgently pass comprehensive laws for autonomous vehicles in order to prevent the UK from falling behind other countries. The cross-party Transport Committee believes that the current laws for self-driving vehicles are outdated and restrictive.

Fully automated driving systems are currently prohibited in the UK. Initially, they were expected to be allowed by 2021, but this deadline has been pushed back to 2022, and now possibly 2025.

The Transport Committee has recommended that legislation address safety, security, liability, as well as infrastructure and the use of personal data.

Iain Stewart, the Chair of the Transport Committee, stated, “Self-driving vehicles are a promising British success story, and we have a competitive advantage over many other countries. However, if the government fails to introduce a transport bill before the next general election, all of our hard work could be at risk.”

Stewart further explains, “There are various obstacles to the widespread adoption of self-driving vehicles, including public confidence in their safety and security, as well as the potential impact on other road users. To achieve the government’s goals for self-driving vehicle deployment, we must address these complex issues. We believe in taking a cautious and gradual approach, initially introducing SDV technologies in well-defined contexts to avoid unintended consequences.”

Recommendations

The MPs have raised concerns about the government’s proposed “safety ambition”, which states that self-driving vehicles should achieve a safety level equivalent to that of a competent human driver. They believe this ambition is too weak and vague.

The committee also suggests that the government should outline a strategy for the future of human driving in a world of self-driving vehicles. This strategy should include potential changes to driving tests and ensure that all drivers have a full understanding of self-driving technology.