UK risks losing ‘competitive advantage’ in race to develop self-driving cars
The UK risks losing its “competitive advantage” in the development of self-driving vehicles if the government fails to pass legislation urgently, MPs and industry groups have warned.
A report from the Transport Committee argues that self-driving has been a “Great British success story” but that if appropriate legislation is not included in the upcoming King’s Speech, the UK risks losing its hard won position in what has become a multibillion dollar industry globally.
The select committee said that current laws for automonous driving are “archaic and “limiting” with the sector “crying out” for regulation.
New legislation should cover vehicle approvals, liability for accidents, cybersecurity and the use of personal data, with a failure to act dealing “significant and lasting damage to the UK’s self driving industry and the country’s reputation as a trailblazer”.
Iain Stewart, Transport Committee chair, said “self-driving vehicles are a great British success story in the making and we have a competitive advantage over many other countries”.
“But all that hard work could be at risk if the government doesn’t follow through and bring forward a Transport Bill in the next parliamentary session, before the next general election.
“If the government is going to meet its ambitions for self-driving vehicle deployment these knotty issues need to be addressed. “
In July, Ford launched the UK’s first legal hands-free car, in what was also a European first and a significant milestone for the sector.
Alex Kendall, chief executive of the UK self-driving developer Wayve, said: “We welcome today’s report which sets out the urgent need for legislation so the UK can reap the benefits of self-driving vehicles and remain a leader in this rapidly growing sector.
Yesterday, the start-up launched a “first of its kind” technology, dubbed LINGO-1, which allows self driving vehicles to explain the reasoning behind any decisions taken on the roads.
Ashley Feldman, programme manager for transport and cities at Tech UK, a trade association representing the digital technology sector, said “throughout the course of this inquiry, the technology sector, alongside the automotive industry and many others, has urged the government to ensure that the UK continues to be a world-leader in automated mobility”.
“The government has stated its ambition to make the UK a science and technology superpower by 2030 and it is these kinds of technologies that will get us there.”
As self-driving technology develops exponentially, there have been concerns over whether insurers will be able to handle the complexity of determining liability in a vehicle with no driver.
Tom Leggett, vehicle technology specialist at risk intelligence company Thatcham Research, welcomed the report’s acknowledgment of the “complexities of legal liability, especially as we move through the stages of automation to fully self-driving vehicles”.
“As the driver hands more and more control to the vehicle, absolute clarity is required regarding their legal responsibilities.”