At wheel of a self-driving car? You’re just a ‘user in charge’
So the vehicle’s to blame if you get speed fine!
ANYONE in control of a self-driving car will be renamed a ‘user in charge’ when the vehicles take to UK roads and will not be criminally liable if there is a crash, government law experts propose.
They have outlined to Parliament a shift in legal responsibilities when self-driving vehicles hit the streets – potentially this year.
The proposals cover vehicles where a motorist would be expected to remain at the wheel and take over from the self-driving mode in an emergency.
Under the Law Commission plans, the switch could mean the end of speeding tickets for ‘users in charge’ because they won’t be held accountable for mistakes made by their cars.
They will also have immunity from other traffic offences such as dangerous driving or running a red light. The responsibility will instead transfer to the maker of the vehicle or its self-driving computer software.
It means ‘users in charge’ will be able to watch films on the vehicle’s entertainment console or read during a journey.
However, they will need to be in the driver’s seat, ready to regain control in case of an emergency. The ‘users in charge’ will still need to pass a driving test and be a licence holder. They will also retain other driver duties, such as having insurance, checking loads are attached securely and ensuring children wear seatbelts. And they will have to remain within the drink-drive limit.
The proposals say a distinction should be made between driverassistance features, such as the cruise control in many current vehicles, and self-driving modes where motorists can take their hands off the wheel.
Motoring groups reacted with caution. AA president Edmund King said: ‘While many technological elements of automation or automatic lane-keeping systems will bring in safety benefits, we should not be encouraging drivers to take their hands off the wheel until these systems are regulated and fail-safe.
‘The Department for Transport has already missed its 2021 ambitions to get trials of fully driverless cars on the roads, although there is now a trial under way in Milton Keynes which we will watch with interest.’
The RAC’s Nicholas Lyes said: ‘It’s vital motorists aren’t lulled into a false sense of security. There’s a big difference between driver assistance features, such as adaptive cruise control, and genuine self-driving capability.’