The U.K.’s renowned regulations for self-driving cars are now official, following the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act, which has received royal assent — the final approval required for legislation to become law.
The government predicts that fully self-driving vehicles could be on U.K. roads within two years.
“While this doesn’t take away people’s ability to choose to drive themselves, our landmark legislation means self-driving vehicles can be rolled out on British roads as soon as 2026, providing a real boost to both safety and our economy,” Transport Secretary Mark Harper stated.
This announcement comes shortly after U.K.-based Wayve secured over $1 billion from major companies such as SoftBank, Nvidia, and Microsoft to further develop a self-learning software system for autonomous vehicles.
Like other nations, the U.K. has allowed driverless cars on public roads for several years, with strict guidelines for companies testing new technologies. However, as the autonomous vehicle industry has matured and prepared for broader deployment, the necessity for a new legal framework became clear.
Although initial groundwork began years earlier, the U.K. formally proposed the AV Act in a 2022 joint report by the Law Commissions of England, Wales, and Scotland, emphasizing the need for a “new vocabulary, new legal actors, and new regulatory schemes” due to the advent of autonomous vehicles. The report stated:
“The introduction of automated vehicles will have profound legal consequences… it requires new regulatory schemes and new actors (with new responsibilities and liabilities). We therefore recommend primary legislation — a new Automated Vehicles Act — to regulate automated vehicles on roads or other public places in Great Britain.” – Automated Vehicles: joint report of the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission
Liability in case of a self-driving car accident
The U.K. has eagerly positioned itself at the forefront of the autonomous vehicle revolution, funding various AV projects and research initiatives focused on safety. The government highlights the safety benefits of self-driving cars, noting that eliminating human error can reduce accidents, though it acknowledges that incidents will still occur, as seen in the U.S. where self-driving technology is more advanced. California has become a key region for proposed AV regulations as well.
Thus, liability is a crucial element of the U.K.’s new regulations — determining who is responsible in the event of a crash. The U.K. clarified this in 2022, stating that the new legislation will hold corporations accountable for any accidents, “meaning a human driver would not be liable for incidents related to driving while the vehicle is in control of driving.”
Each approved self-driving vehicle will be associated with an “Authorised Self-Driving Entity,” which will typically be the manufacturer but could also be the software developer or insurance company. This entity will be responsible for the vehicle when self-driving mode is engaged.
The government will establish a vehicle approval system supported by an “independent incident investigation function.” Companies approved to operate under the new regulations will be expected to meet “ongoing obligations” to ensure the safety of their vehicles.
