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15 November 2018 / Nicholas Bevan
Issue: 7817 / Categories: Features , Insurance / reinsurance
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Driverless vehicles: a future perfect?

In the first part of a special series on road traffic accident reform, Nicholas Bevan reports on the challenges posed by automated vehicles

  • An overview of Part I of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018, which is intended to fill the gap in civil liability law highlighted by the rise of automated vehicles such as driverless cars.

Part I of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 (AEVA 2018) represents the most radical reform to the regulatory framework of compulsory motor insurance for 88 years. It is intended to address a gap in our civil liability law made manifest by developments in vehicle automation. This government is keen to facilitate this technology that promises to transform our lives in the future.

In 2017, the chancellor of the exchequer stated that the government intended these reforms to get driverless cars on our roads by 2021; much depends upon what is meant by ‘driverless’.

Third-party motor insurance was made compulsory under the Road Traffic Act 1930. The objective was, and remains, to guarantee that motor accident

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Mr Justice Nicklin’s decision to order costs on an indemnity basis may be a ‘significant win’ but it’s still ‘far from game, set and match’ for Associated Newspapers, a former costs judge has said
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners
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