After the British self-driving car Act (Automated Vehicles Act, AV) was approved by the royal family, the UK claimed to be "the world leader".NektancasinosThe regulations on self-driving cars have come into effect. Royal approval is the last procedure that any legislation must pass before it becomes law.

The British government says fully self-driving cars could be on the road in the UK within two years.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said in a statement: "while this does not deprive people of the ability to choose to drive, our landmark legislation means that self-driving cars can be launched on British roads as early as 2026. This will really promote Britain's safety and economy."

Just a few weeks ago, UK-based Wayve raised money from well-known companies such as Softbank Corp., Nvidia and MicrosoftNektancasinosMore than $1 billion has been spent on the continued development of autonomous learning software systems for self-driving cars.

Like other countries, the UK allows driverless cars to drive on public roads for many years, but there are strict rules for companies seeking permission to test new technologies. But with the development of the self-driving car industry and the arrival of prime time, the need for a new legal framework has become obvious.

Although the initial groundwork was several years early, the UK formally introduced the self-driving Act in a joint report issued by the Law Commission of England, Wales and Scotland in 2022, which pointed out that the arrival of self-driving cars requires a new vocabulary, new legal participants and a new regulatory plan. It says:

The introduction of self-driving cars will have far-reaching legal consequences. It requires new regulatory plans and new participants (new responsibilities and obligations). Therefore, we propose to introduce a new automatic vehicles bill-to regulate automatic vehicles on British roads or other public places.

Britain has been eager to position itself at the forefront of the self-driving car revolution and to fund various self-driving car projects and safety research projects. The government has been promoting the potential safety advantages of self-driving cars because they eliminate human errors on the road, but it acknowledges that accidents still occur, as evidenced by the US report, where self-driving cars have gained a foothold. In fact, California has also become a hotbed of proposed autopilot regulations.

This is why the division of responsibility is at the heart of the bill: if an accident happens, who will be held responsible? The UK made it clear in the Road Map published in 2022 that "if an accident occurs, the company will be held responsible", "which means that under vehicle control, human drivers will not be held responsible for driving-related accidents".

Each approved self-driving car has an "authorized self-driving entity", usually a manufacturer, but it may also be a software developer or an insurance company. When autopilot mode is activated, this entity will be responsible for the vehicle.

The government will establish a vehicle approval system supported by a "fully independent accident investigation function", and companies approved to operate under the new regulations are expected to fulfill their "ongoing obligations" to ensure the safety of their vehicles.