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28 May 2021 / David Mason
Issue: 7934 / Categories: Features , Technology , Insurance / reinsurance , Personal injury , Criminal , Health & safety
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Life in the automated lane

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The legal & regulatory landscape surrounding automated vehicles is taking shape: David Mason considers the questions still to be answered
  • The implementation of Pt 1 of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 opens the door for fundamental changes to the civil liability of drivers and insurers.

With the recent implementation of Pt 1 of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 (AEVA 2018), the government has taken the first steps towards the lawful use of vehicles on our roads which are controlled by technology, not the driver.

AEVA 2018 is not concerned with the driver assistance devices now commonly available on cars, such as active cruise control or lane monitoring. The legal position is clear so far as they are concerned: the driver remains in charge and fully responsible for the operation of the vehicle.

AEVA 2018 introduces a new class of vehicle—the ‘automated vehicle’—and new concepts of liability for their drivers, and crucially, their insurers.

What’s automated?

An automated vehicle is one which

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