UK Will Make Autonomous Vehicle Manufacturers Share Responsible for Accidents

King Charles of England, proposed the Automatic Vehicles Bill. (photo: special doc.)

JAKARTA - The British government announced that it will make manufacturers, not owners, of autonomous vehicles legally responsible for any accidents under the autonomous vehicle (AV) development framework. The move has been welcomed by insurance companies and AV startups.

King Charles said the government would propose an Automated Vehicles Bill as he outlined the government's legislative agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session, after one promised last year did not materialize.

"Gentlemen, I will introduce a new legal framework to support the safe development of emerging industries, such as autonomous vehicles," Charles said in his speech to MPs.

Tara Foley, head of UK and Ireland operations for global insurer AXA, said the move would provide "multiple benefits for the UK economy, road safety and green jobs."

"For insurance companies, this also provides important clarity in determining the liability of autonomous vehicles," said Foley, as quoted by VOI from Reuters.

The company has said that the UK could lose investment and startups will conduct testing elsewhere unless promised legislation regulating AV technology is passed before the next general election expected next year.

"The new legislation regarding autonomous vehicles gives us confidence to continue investing in R&D and expanding our talent base in the UK," said Alex Kendall, CEO of AV startup Wayve, which has raised around US $ 260 million (IDR 4 trillion) from investors, including Microsoft.

The government says the bill will protect users and promote safety in the AV industry.

"As long as vehicles are self-driving, a company, not an individual, will be responsible for how the vehicle is driven," the government said.

Autonomous vehicle industry experts have said that a national regulatory framework and establishing legal responsibilities are critical to gaining public acceptance of autonomous vehicles and for insurance companies to provide coverage.

The bill would establish procedures to investigate incidents and improve safety frameworks, as well as set thresholds for what is classified as an autonomous vehicle.

In the United States market, where states have led autonomous vehicle trials, California regulators last month ordered General Motors' autonomous vehicle unit, Cruise, to pull its vehicles from the state's roads, saying the company had misrepresented the technology's safety.

Paul Newman, founder of Oxford-based AV software company Oxa, which has raised around US$225 million (IDR 3.5 trillion) from investors, said the UK's proposed framework would decisively avoid a repeat of Cruise's situation in the UK because it clearly sets out responsibilities answer.

"This technology is inevitable," he said. "This is a fantastic opportunity to get ahead of the curve and... create a framework to build community trust."