Absolve users of legal responsibility in crashes involving driverless cars, watchdog says

Users of autonomous cars should not be legally responsible for road safety, a legal watchdog in the UK has proposed.

They should be classified as "users-in-charge" rather than drivers and would be exempt from responsibility for infringements such as dangerous driving, exceeding the speed limit, or running a red light. Instead, the carmakers would be liable in these cases.

However, the user-in-charge would still have responsibility for carrying insurance, checking loads, or ensuring that children wear seat belts.

The new guidelines have been proposed by the Law Commission of England and Wales, and the Scottish Law Commission and were outlined in their report released on Wednesday.

"The development of self-driving vehicles in the UK has the potential to revolutionise travel, making everyday journeys safer, easier and greener," said junior transport minister Trudy Harrison.

"However, we must ensure we have the right regulations in place, based upon safety and accountability, in order to build public confidence.

"That’s why the Department funded this independent report and I look forward to fully considering the recommendations and responding in due course".

Scottish Law Commissioner David Bartos said the new laws ensure "safety and accountability while encouraging innovation and development".

The commission also said that there should be a clear distinction between self-driving and driver-assisted vehicles.

"The distinction between driver assistance and self-driving is crucial. Yet many drivers are currently confused about where the boundary lies. This can be dangerous," it wrote in the summary of the report.

The commission continued: "This problem is aggravated if marketing gives drivers the misleading impression that they do not