The UK government recognises the potential benefits of driverless and automated vehicle technologies, particularly the potential to improve road safety and reduce casualties. The government therefore wishes to support and facilitate the development and introduction of these technologies to our roads. For this reason the government conducted a detailed review of existing legislation to establish the regulatory situation with regards to testing of these technologies and their longer term introduction to the market. The Pathway to Driverless Cars review was published by the Department for Transport in February 2015 and concluded: “Real-world testing of automated technologies is possible in the UK today, providing a test driver is present and takes responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle; and that the vehicle can be used compatibly with road traffic law.“ The review identified a number of actions that the UK government will take including the publication of this Code of Practice to promote safety during the testing phase. It also included a timetable for clarification and necessary changes to legislation to allow these technologies to come to market. Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that highly and fully automated vehicle technologies undergo thorough testing and development before being brought to market. Much of this development can be done in test laboratories or on dedicated test tracks and proving grounds. However to help ensure that these technologies are capable of safely handling the many varied situations that they may encounter throughout their service life, it is expected that controlled ‘real world’ testing will also be necessary. Testing of automated vehicle technologies on public roads or in other public places should therefore be facilitated while ensuring that this testing is carried out with the minimum practicable risk. The publication of this Code of Practice is intended to help manufacturers and those organising testing of these technologies by providing clear guidelines and recommendations for measures that should be taken to maintain safety during this testing phase. 1.5 This Code of Practice is non-statutory but has been developed to promote responsible testing. It should be used by testing organisations in conjunction with detailed knowledge of the legal, regulatory and technological landscape. Failure to follow the Code may be relevant to liability in any legal proceedings. Similarly, compliance with the Code does not guarantee immunity from liability in such circumstances. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting