Self-Driving Cars Will Be Legally Allowed On UK Roads From 2026

Fully autonomous vehicles are one step closer to becoming a reality on Britain’s roads, as the government’s Autonomous Vehicle Act has become law, laying out a legal framework for the introduction of self-driving cars from 2026.

The government says Britain’s autonomous car industry is worth “up to £42 billion”, and could unlock up to 38,000 new jobs by 2025. The act has a sharp focus on road safety, with the government’s data suggesting that 88 per cent of all road collisions in Britain have driver error as a contributing factor.

The act also clears up one of the defining questions of the debate on autonomous vehicles that’s been rolling on for years now: that of responsibility. Under the new law, the responsibility for any accident or offence involving a vehicle that’s under fully autonomous control lies firmly and unequivocally with the vehicle’s manufacturer and the insurance company covering it.

It also requires any vehicle introduced under the legislation to undergo a rigorous safety test to ensure it’s up to the standards of an attentive and competent human driver. Per Auto Express, there’ll also be a crackdown on companies misrepresenting their current advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as ‘full self-driving’, when in reality they only allow no driver input for short distances and in certain conditions.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Britain stands at the threshold of an automotive revolution and this new law is a milestone moment for our self-driving industry, which has the potential to change the way we travel forever.” The law has also been met with support by companies already trialling autonomous vehicles in parts of the UK, and from the Transport Research Laboratory and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Despite this law, there’s little reason to believe that we’ll all be able to go out and buy our very own autonomous car as soon as 2026. Lots of major manufacturers have scaled back their self-driving car development, with Renault recently stating it believes the tech is still years off from being ready for rollout in private cars.

There’s also the matter of public opinion: just last year, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers carried out a survey that found 70 per cent of interviewees said they’d be uncomfortable travelling in a fully autonomous vehicle, and 51 per cent said they’d still be nervous even with the option to take back control.

Harper himself emphasises that the legislation “doesn’t take away people’s ability to choose to drive themselves.” Realistically, it’s something that’s likely to be rolled out in public transit and certain high-risk professions – the government cites mining as one such area – long before it’s available to private buyers.