Driverless Vehicles
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the regulatory regime for autonomous vehicles is underpinned by testing and assurance frameworks that are flexible enough to keep pace with rapid technological iteration.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
The UK is taking a leading role at the United Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE) in the development of international vehicle regulations on automated vehicles. Through setting internationally harmonised requirements we are ensuring consistent safety requirements are adopted globally and that the UK remains up to date with international technological developments.
The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 established the legal framework for regulating automated vehicles in the UK. By taking an outcomes-focused approach to safety assurance, it establishes a flexible, futureproof framework that can be adapted in line with technological developments.
The Government is now developing the secondary legislation which will set the detailed, technical requirements. Officials are actively consulting experts from industry, road safety groups and academia to ensure the regulations are futureproofed and that learnings from early automated vehicle deployments are captured.
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