Self-driving fleets are taking yet another step closer to reality, which bodes the question… do they pose a threat to road safety? And what steps are being taken to mitigate against any potential issues?
With the Department for Transport (DfT) seeking taxi and bus operators to take part in a pilot scheme that’s set to launch later this year, autonomous vehicles on the road are set to become a reality in 2026.
Further adoption is planned but the first phase involves gathering ‘real-world’ evidence on the safety, rollout and operation of self-driving vehicles in order to develop new regulations.
How Safe Are Self-Driving Vehicles?
The government has been keen to assure fleets and drivers that strict safety standards must be met before any rollout of self-driving vehicles is conducted.
It will also require the participation of local authorities, with Transport for London rumoured to be one of the first to be taking part.
As ever, the biggest challenge as self-driving vehicles take to the road will be public perception, with the rise of AI and automated technology taking hold, there can be a general feeling of distrust that comes with it.
That ‘real-world’ proof of concept is invaluable for the technology companies and government as they aim to demonstrate to fleets and the public that autonomous vehicles are ready to hit the road.
As we’ve seen in previous discussions around autonomous vehicles, part of the issue is that public tolerance for incidents is likely to be lower than it is for human drivers.
Which means that safety is even more crucial than it ordinarily would be, with fleets always looking for safety enhancements as traffic density reaches record levels.
Are We Ready For Driverless Vehicles?
There are lots of considerations to be made as the government pens regulations on self-driving vehicles, including on the specifics for passenger fleets (such as buses and taxis), as well as for cargo-based fleets.
Data and cybersecurity are also major factors with access to vehicle data, whether relating to collisions or more generally, particularly with data being more vital than ever.
For fleet operators, the introduction of autonomous vehicles represents one of the most significant changes to the sector in decades and that means confidence in safety regulations and reliability are paramount to switchover decisions in the coming years.
Monitoring, compliance and risk management will become even more important. As expectations around safety increase, fleets will need clear visibility over how vehicles are operating and how incidents are managed.
The UK is moving towards the introduction of driverless vehicles at pace, with these new government-led trials set to make autonomous fleets on the road a reality.
For fleets, ensuring that they have full visibility of their vehicles and drivers has never been more important, something we know all about with Fleet Monitor, Risk Monitor and Compliance Monitor.
