Self-driving vehicles could be on British roads by 2026.

That’s the government’s view after its Automated Vehicles (AV) Act became law.

It was originally announced in the King’s Speech in November 2023.

The law

The new law aims to put Britain at the forefront of self-driving technology regulation, and road safety is central to the new legislation.

Automated vehicles are expected to improve road safety by reducing human error, which the Department for Transport (DfT) says contributes to 88% of road collisions.

The new law will require self-driving vehicles to achieve a level of safety at least as high as that of careful and competent human drivers.

In addition, they will have to meet “rigorous” safety checks before being allowed onto the roads.

As a result, the DfT believes it will cut incidents from drink driving, speeding, tiredness and inattention, dramatically cutting deaths and injuries on the country’s roads.

A new era

“Britain stands at the threshold of an automotive revolution,” says Transport Secretary Mark Harper.

“This new law is a milestone moment for our self-driving industry, which has the potential to change the way we travel forever.

Harper adds that “self-driving vehicles can be rolled out on British roads as soon as 2026, in a real boost to both safety and our economy”.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) says the technology could help save 3,900 lives and prevent 60,000 serious accidents.

It also believes the technology has the potential to deliver a £66 billion boost to the economy by 2040.

Already here

The new Act follows self-driving trials already taking place across the country.

Home-grown British businesses are trialling self-driving cars in London and Oxford, including OXA.

Paul Newman, founder and chief technology officer of Oxa, said: “We now have autonomous vehicle legislation which is more comprehensive in scope and clearer in its requirements than in any other country.”

Newman believes it will help “make British companies global leaders with technology that is the safest and AI systems the most trusted”.

Cashing in

Between 2018 and 2022, the UK self-driving vehicle sector alone generated £475 million of direct investment and created 1,500 new jobs.

The Act delivers a legal framework, setting out who is liable for AVs.

Drivers can be assured that while their vehicle is in self-driving mode, they will not be held responsible for how it drives.

Corporations such as insurance providers, software developers and automotive manufacturers now assume this responsibility.

Furthermore, the vehicle approval system will be supported by a completely independent incident investigation function to ensure safety in vehicle design and practical use.

Leading the field

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes says the new legislation is a “watershed moment for UK automotive innovation and road safety”.

“Self-driving vehicles will revolutionise our society, and this new law will help turn ambition into reality, putting the UK alongside a handful of other global markets that already have their regulatory frameworks in place,” he added.

“The industry will continue its close collaboration with Government and other stakeholders to develop the necessary secondary legislation that will enable the safe and responsible commercial rollout of self-driving vehicles and the significant social and economic benefits they will afford the UK.”

The new law’s passage follows consistent Government backing of the self-driving vehicle industry – with more than £600m in joint Government and industry investment since 2015.

This funding has helped create innovative new companies at the forefront of this international evolution.