English and Scottish Law Commissions Launch Consultation on Self-Driving Cars

The Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission have launched a joint consultation into future rules for automated vehicles.

It is part of a three-year review to examine any legal obstacles to the widespread introduction of self-driving vehicles and highlight the need for regulatory reforms.

The questions that are dealt with in the consultation include:

• How should we provide safety assurance for self-driving systems?
• Road rules have been developed for human drivers. How should they be adapted for automated vehicles so that they drive safely? For example, should an automated vehicle mount the pavement or cross a white line to let an emergency vehicle through, just like a human driver would in an emergency situation?
• Should we introduce a new Government agency to monitor and investigate accidents involving automated vehicles?
• Do we need to modify criminal and civil liability laws to ensure clarity and certainty in the law about who is accountable if things go wrong? This work builds on the government’s recent insurance reforms for automated vehicles.