Back

A self-driving car could save you a speeding ticket

22 January 2021

Owners of self-driving cars could be classed as ‘users-in-charge’ rather than drivers by 2023, which could result in a shift in legal responsibilities.

Proposals from the Law Commission could transform as many as 4.5 million motoring offences committed each year into “regulatory matters”.

The Law Commission’s latest report concludes that drivers of automatic vehicles “would not be liable for any criminal offence or civil penalty which arises out of dynamic driving. They would, however, be subject to other driver responsibilities, such as carrying insurance and reporting accidents.”

This means that, under these proposed rules, ‘users in charge’ could potentially legally use their mobile phone, watch films and more whilst behind the wheel. 

The report also says that “If there is a collision caused by a vehicle driving itself... the user-in-charge could not be prosecuted for offences such as careless or dangerous driving. The user-in-charge could not be prosecuted for a wide range of other offences, such as exceeding the speed limit.”

The Law Commission has launched its third consultation to “build a flexible legal framework which will promote safety and technological advancement”, in preparation for the deployment of automated vehicles onto UK roads. The consultation is seeking views on the proposed framework and will close on March 18 2021. 

Responsible parties will need to prove that automated vehicles can create an overall decline in injury rates, says the Law Commission. 

In the event of an emergency, automated vehicles should alert the user in charge to take control using a combination of dashboard warning lights and audible alarms. If the user in charge does not respond within 10 seconds of escalating alerts, the automated system should perform a “minimum risk manoeuvre” by coming to a slow stop in a lane with hazard warning lights on.

At Marshall Leasing, we prioritise driver safety above all else and trust that you find this information useful. If you have strong views about self-driving cars, you might well want to contribute to the consultation process. If you would like to find out more about how we keep our drivers safe, please get in touch with us at info@marshall-leasing.co.uk or by calling 01480 414541. 

Back