It’s great to see this week the government launching a consultation on the adoption of automated lane keeping systems (ALKS) - technology which enables drivers to hand over control of, and responsibility for, their vehicle for long periods of time during driving.
In April I posted an article reminding people of the UK Government’s pledge to have fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) operating on UK roads by 2021 (see https://shoosmiths.passle.net/post/102g621/autonomous-vehicles-navigating-the-way-forward). Back in the depths of lockdown when we were all (largely) confined to the four walls of our homes this seemed a long way off, but this has got a step closer with the government commencing a consultation process that will focus on:
- the role of the driver and proposed rules on the use of ALKS to pave the way towards introducing it safely in Great Britain;
- whether vehicles using this technology should be legally defined as an automated vehicle, meaning that the technology provider would be responsible for the vehicle as opposed to the driver; and
- how it could be used safely on British roads at speeds of up to 70mph.
There is no question that this is an exciting development. ALKS should reduce accidents, make our roads safer, help change the public perception of autonomous vehicles, stimulate investment in similar technologies and act as a boost to new car sales. Inevitably there will need to be a raft of legislative changes to accommodate the widespread adoption of this type of technology - expect this to come through Parliament as we approach 2021.
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