Self-Driving Vehicles in Great Britain

By R.Lakha

The UK Government has proposed new legislation which would set the legal basis for driverless vehicles on British roads.  If this proposal becomes an Act of Parliament, fully autonomous AI driven vehicles, such as robotaxis, may soon become a common sight. 

In this book, we review the Government's Automated Vehicles Bill.  We discuss why this Bill, though commendable, isn't bold enough and therefore places at risk the full benefits of the driverless revolution, in particular, the lifesaving benefits of self-driving cars.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.Lakha
• Release date: Dec 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223747055

Book preview

Self-Driving Vehicles in Great Britain

R.LAKHA

Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads!

Back to the Future

CONTENTS

Epigraph

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

FROM HORSES TO CARS TO AI

OVERVIEW OF the BILL

SAFETY

LIABILITY

Copyright

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

Following the introduction of the UK Government’s Automated Vehicles Bill in Parliament, I created a video to present my views on this Bill.  The video is available to watch on my YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ElephantAI

This publication is an accompaniment to the video.  It contains the slides from the video, though modified to fit the structure of this publication.

Chapters 3, 4, and 5 group the slides into three sections.  Each chapter begins with an explanation of the main theme of the chapter. 

Before proceeding with the slides, I invite you to read the next chapter – From horses to cars to AI.  I’ve written this essay to summarise my views on the Bill - why it’s a good move, but why it needs to be much, much bolder. 

1

FROM HORSES TO CARS TO AI

Yesterday, we rode on horses.  Today, we drive in cars.  In both cases, we, the humans, are in control.  Now, with the advancement of driverless technology, we must consider whether to hand control to AI[1]. 

The UK Government says we should ... sort of.  In November 2023, they introduced the Automated Vehicles Bill in Parliament which, if passed, would set the legal basis for the use of driverless vehicles on British roads.  Fully autonomous AI driven vehicles may soon become a common sight. 

The prospect of science fiction becoming an everyday reality was, admittedly, a shallow reason to capture my initial interest in this Bill.  Nonetheless, it spurred my research into the societal benefits of driverless technology.  I have now come to realise that self-driving vehicles are more than