The UK is positioning itself at the fore of autonomous driving but leadership will require greater regulatory and legislative effort along with R&D investment. By Chris Reeves
The Automated Vehicles (AV) Act became law on 20 May 2024 and marks a significant milestone in the journey towards autonomous driving. This landmark sets a legislative framework that paves the way for the deployment of self-driving cars on UK roads. However, further legislation will need to follow to ensure the required safety levels are met.
It has been promised that self-driving vehicles will be on the road by 2026; however, this might not be in the form of privately-owned cars. Instead, the first wave of autonomous vehicles on public roads are primarily being deployed for trialling purposes, but, features such as autonomous shuttle services will be seen in the near term, and will likely include a safety operator to monitor the system behaviour and intervene should something untoward occur.
While there are debates about whether autonomous vehicles will be available for general use by 2026, the government is actively engaging with key stakeholders to develop the secondary legislation that will unlock this new future. Details within this legislation will include performance levels, as well as vehicle licensing and safety requirements, which are crucial for the successful deployment of autonomous vehicles on a large scale. The government must ensure this legislation is comprehensive and aligned with international best practices to ensure it opens up the global market, while the industry must ensure all technical standards are met to build public confidence in an autonomous future.
What is industry’s role?
Developing the secondary legislation will be a lot of work, but there is a lot of excitement within the automotive industry about the next steps for the Automated Vehicles Act. Global automotive events have highlighted the industry’s enthusiasm and focus on features pushing the boundaries of highly autonomous systems, such as vehicle summoning and automated parking. These features demonstrate the potential of autonomous technology to transform mobility, making it safer, inclusive and more efficient. Although the formal approval process is yet to be defined, that will require extensive industry consultations and need to be supported by independent studies to ensure they are thorough and based on evidence.
Defining “safety” requirements
For many companies the focus turns to ensuring these autonomous systems are safe, secure and functionally robust. Defining what constitutes a “safe” autonomous vehicle is a significant challenge. The Automated Vehicles Act stipulates that these vehicles must achieve a level of safety equivalent to that of a careful and competent human driver. But the definition of this is currently ambiguous and open to interpretation.
The industry must develop clear performance metrics and rigorous testing frameworks to ensure these vehicles can function safely within the intended environment, including the complex and rare ‘edge cases’ that can and will occur. This will require extensive research, development and collaboration to establish best practices.
Infrastructure requirements are another major ingredient when defining safety. While existing infrastructure is often seen as a barrier to adopting autonomous technology, upgrading it presents a further challenge. Autonomous vehicles must be capable of operating within the current infrastructure without relying on ideal conditions, which are neither practical nor sustainable. Creating perfect white lines and updating all road signage would be a prohibitively expensive process. This means developing technologies that can handle diverse road conditions, signage and traffic patterns without requiring extensive modification to existing infrastructure.
The crucial role of technology
Defining the Target Operational Domain (TOD) is key for identifying and testing safety and other performance requirements. By defining the TOD, key stakeholders like regulators, insurers and vehicle users are in no doubt about the boundary conditions for where the system operates and a test programme can be developed that robustly interrogates the system performance within this boundary. Establishing a clear TOD helps ensure autonomous vehicles operate safely and effectively within their intended environments.
Continuous advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning and sensor technologies will enhance the decision-making capabilities of autonomous systems so they can operate safely within the TOD. However, technologies such as AI bring additional challenges in safety assurance, and how to assure AI in safety-critical applications is yet to emerge.
Building public trust
Informing the public about the safety and reliability of these systems is essential. Initiatives like CERTUS, co-funded by the Centre for Connect & Autonomous Vehicles and lead by Horiba Mira in partnership with other partners, plays a vital role in assessing the performance and safety of autonomous systems. CERTUS is developing methodologies for rigorously verifying and validating autonomous systems, enhancing the robustness and reducing the time to market of these systems.
The Harlander project is another endeavour that exemplifies the steps being taken to smooth the road towards autonomous driving. Harlander is a collaboration of industry partners that will provide practical exposure to autonomous vehicles through a passenger shuttle service within the Belfast Harbour estate. This project is enabling the general public to experience self-driving technology firsthand, helping to bridge the all-important gap between public perception and reality. Real-world applications like this are critical for demonstrating the benefits of autonomous vehicles and building public trust and new technology acceptance.
As well as collaboration, an educational programme is an important tool that has the power to support the acceptance of autonomous vehicles among the people. Increasing awareness and understanding of autonomous vehicle technology can help build a foundation of trust and acceptance. An educational programme can include various activities such as public demonstrations, workshops, and informational campaigns to address the common concerns and misconceptions society may have.
The UK’s potential to lead
Finally, there is the question of whether the UK can lead the autonomous vehicle industry? Currently, the UK stands at a crossroads, deciding whether to be a ‘maker or taker’ of this revolution that stands before it. Accelerated action and robust decision-making are required to position the UK as a leader. This involves not only regulatory and legislative efforts but also investments in R&D and support for deployments. Other countries are already advancing in autonomous vehicle technology.
Germany in Europe, Singapore in Asia, and multiple states in the US are notable examples. The UK needs to accelerate its efforts. If it can attract the right industry players and establish a robust framework, it has the potential to lead the autonomous vehicle revolution on a global scale.
The opportunity is there for the UK to position itself as a pioneer. As a country with a rich heritage in automotive innovation and success, we will need to address the challenges head-on to reap the benefits of being a maker rather than a taker in this market opportunity. To achieve this, government, industry and academic bodies must coordinate their efforts.
About the author: Chris Reeves is Head of Connected & Autonomous Vehicle Technologies at Horiba Mira
