Announced in the King’s Speech, the Autonated Vehicles (AV) Act enables advanced technology to drive vehicles on British roads.

The new law seeks to put Great Britain at the forefront of self-driving technology regulation, an industry estimated to be worth up to £42 billion and creating 38,000 more skilled jobs by 2035.

Automated vehicles expected to improve road safety by reducing human error, which contributes to 88% of road collisions.

The law will require self-driving vehicles to achieve a level of safety at least as high as careful and competent human drivers, as well as meeting safety checks before being allowed onto roads. As a result, future deaths and injuries from drink driving, speeding, tiredness and inattention could be drastically reduced.

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.

“While this doesn’t take away people’s ability to choose to drive themselves, our landmark legislation means self-driving vehicles can be rolled out on British roads as soon as 2026, in a real boost to both safety and our economy.”

The AV Act follows self-driving trials already taking place across the country. For example, British companies such as Wayve and Oxa are trialling self-driving cars in London and Oxford. This month it was revealed Wayve had secured more than $1 billion in investment to develop its AI technology further here in the UK.

Wayve has said that their technological advancements have been supported by the UK’s Code of practice: automated vehicle trialling, which sets out a clear framework to support and promote the safe trailing of self-driving vehicle technology.

Between 2018 and 2022, the UK self-driving vehicle sector alone generated £475 million of direct investment and created 1,500 new jobs. Self-driving vehicles could support areas previously impacted by driver shortages, such as haulage, and where work can be dangerous, such as mining.

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The act delivers, according to the UK government, the most comprehensive legal framework of its kind worldwide, setting out who is liable for AVs, meaning that drivers can be assured that, while their vehicle is in self-driving mode, they will not be held responsible for how the vehicle drives. For the first time, corporations such as insurance providers, software developers, and automotive manufacturers can assume this responsibility.

To ensure these vehicles are safe for British roads, the vehicle approval system will be supported by an independent incident investigation function. Companies will have ongoing obligations to keep their vehicles safe and ensure that they continue to drive in accordance with British laws.