DEADLINE FOR LAW COM CONSULTATION IS 8 FEBRUARY 2019

The Law Commission's consultation on automated vehicles concludes on 8 February 2019.

It is vital that as many experienced personal injury practitioners as possible respond to this detailed consultation.

Although the Commission's terms of reference are largely restricted to advising the government on the regulatory framework for the advanced forms of automated vehicles that are contemplated by the Automated & Electric Vehicles Act 2018, it is clear from the Commission's meticulous consultation paper, including some of the consultation questions (e.g. Questions 6, 7,8 and 12), that it realises that it needs to widen the remit of its research.

It is vitally important that informed professionals draw attention to the fact that the 2018 Act is a missed opportunity.  By failing to address the present and immediate need to reform the liability and insurance framework that applies to semi-automated vehicles that are arriving on our roads in increasing numbers but which are not caught by the no-fault liability provisions of the 2018 Act,  the government has effectively abandoned its responsibilities to accident victims who are ill served by the present inadequacies of the existing civil liability and insurance law framework for conventional vehicles.

I plan to post some of my draft responses to the Law Commission over the next week, to help others form their own view and to encourage others to take the time to respond.

The Law Commission's excellent paper can be accessed here: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/automated-vehicles/