Out-Law News 1 min. read

Motorists must wait until full automation before carrying out other activities in 'driverless' cars, says ABI


Motorists will need to remain alert behind the wheel until vehicle driving becomes fully automated, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has said.

Despite the fact that semi-autonomous vehicles could be in use on public roads within two years and have the latest road safety technologies fitted, motorists will need to be ready to take control of the vehicles in case something goes wrong, the trade body said. They should not carry out other activities until full automation arrives, it said.

New UK regulations are expected in 2018 to enable "some limited hands-off driving on motorways for vehicles with advanced safety systems", the ABI said.

James Dalton, ABI director of general insurance policy, said: "Automation could be the biggest breakthrough in road safety since the invention of the seatbelt and insurers fully support its development. However we need to get there safely. The growth in features like automatic braking and lane assistance systems may give drivers a false sense of security that they can relax while their car looks after them. But unless a vehicle is fully automated and able to respond appropriately in an emergency, drivers still have to be ready to take back control at a moment’s notice."

In a recent report, legal experts in advanced manufacturing at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said companies could have to deal with "a messy transitional period" as legal and regulatory frameworks are updated to account for "the new technological realities" associated with connected and autonomous cars.

Earlier this year the ABI and Thatcham Research set up a specialist insurance industry group on automated driving to look into how driverless cars could impact on insurance coverage and liability, among other issues.

Peter Shaw, chief executive at Thatcham Research, said: "Automated vehicles have the potential to transform our roads, reducing congestion and crashes. The first truly automated vehicles, where the driver is able to hand over control in a specific situation such as on the motorway, won’t be on the roads until sometime after 2021. In the meantime, it’s important that we do everything possible to minimise the risk of crashes. The danger is that as technology develops, and drivers become more confident, they will start to use it in conditions it has not been designed for."

EU policy makers recently outlined their intentions to define the scope of data use and liability rules for driverless cars.

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