Tech makers risk being left in ‘legal vacuum’ over future progress
DEVELOPMENTS in cutting-edge technology including driverless cars, drones and electric scooters may be held back as their creators face being left in a “legal vacuum”, lawyers warned today.
The Government said it expects the driverless car industry to be worth £52 billion by 2035, as it last week announced the creation of new industry standards to cover driverless car technology.
The tech sector is booming thanks to the increasing number of plans by businesses to use drones, huge advances in robotics and the evolution of electric vehicles.
But lawyers from law firm Mayer Brown have today warned that laws and regulations are at risk of being left behind by the speed of technological changes, which could stall future investment in the sector.
“The risk is that businesses may be reluctant to invest heavily in these innovative technologies and incorporate them into their business models while there is so much legal uncertainty about how such technologies will be regulated in the future,” said Jonathan Cohen, a senior associate at the firm’s London office.
He said makers of drone technology, electric scooters, robots and driverless cars may be affected.
The recent death of YouTuber Emily Hartridge when she collided with a lorry in Battersea while riding on an electric scooter put a spotlight on laws surrounding the vehicles, prompting a debate on the safety of the scooters.
Despite their rise in popularity, owners of electric scooters are currently banned from using them in public.
Miles Robinson, a partner at Mayer Brown, said technology laws face the risk of being rendered “not fit for purpose” by the pace of change in this sector.
“Legislation generally takes time to respond to change and this may soon begin to have an impact on businesses, particularly those involved in developing products reliant on technology,” he said.
“The danger is that if this innovation takes place in a legal vacuum and existing legislation fails to evolve with the technology, current laws will no longer be fit for purpose.
“This will create uncertainty as businesses will be required to develop their products with as-yet unknown future legislative changes.”
Announcing the programme to create industry standards for driverless cars, transport minister Michael Ellis said it is hoped the technology will help cut collisions on Britain’s roads.
“Self-driving vehicles have the potential to transform the way we travel, helping improve road safety while creating economic benefits,” he said.