UK Government Proposes Bill Making Autonomous Vehicle Makers, Not Users, Liable for Crashes

Under the new UK legislation, self-driving car producers could face fines or criminal prosecution in the most serious cases, with models potentially available to the public by 2026. The driver will remain accountable for non-driving responsibilities and any part of the journey where a person is driving.

• The UK Government has announced plans for a new Automated Vehicles Bill, which will make self-driving car manufacturers, rather than users, liable for any accidents. The driver will retain responsibility for non-driving duties and parts of the journey where they are in control.
• If approved, the legislation could let companies offer self-driving vehicles to the British public as early as 2026, if they are deemed to be safe. This could potentially unlock a 'transport revolution', with the UK market for autonomous vehicles estimated to be worth £42 billion by 2035 and create 38,000 skilled jobs.
• The proposed legislation intends to protect users from being 'unfairly held accountable', granting them immunity from prosecution when the self-driving vehicle is in control.
• Companies involved in the production of autonomous vehicles would be held responsible for safety from the point a vehicle hits the road and could face serious penalties including fines, requirements to take corrective measures, suspension of operations, and even criminal prosecution in extreme cases.
• The bill will also set parameters to define what qualifies as a self-driving car to prevent misleading marketing of vehicles that do not meet the safety threshold for autonomous operation. If a vehicle does not meet the set threshold, the driver will be responsible at all times.

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