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Official policy proposals and consultations

Consultation on self-driving vehicles: new safety ambition

Overview

Consultation seeking views on our proposed safety ambition for self-driving vehicles.

Following a review of the law relating to self-driving vehicles, we are creating a new legal and safety framework for these vehicles. We have set out our proposals in “Connected and Automated Mobility 2025: realising the benefits of self-driving vehicles in the UK.”

We believe that self-driving vehicles should be held to the same high standard of behaviour as that expected of human drivers. Current law expects human drivers to be competent and careful. Self-driving vehicles should, therefore, be expected to achieve an equivalent level of safety to a competent and careful human driver. This is safer than the average human driver.

We are asking for your views on the approach that self-driving vehicles should be expected to achieve an equivalent level of safety to that of a competent and careful human driver. Following this consultation, we will outline a final safety ambition that will provide the basis for more detailed safety requirements.

This content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0

Discussion forum