We have published responses to two Department for Transport consultations on the regulation of automated vehicles (AVs), underlining the need for both robust safety principles and accurate marketing to build public confidence in the technology.

Statement of Safety Principles

The first consultation on a Statement of Safety Principles (SoSP) proposes a framework to ensure AVs operate at a level of safety equivalent to – or better than – that of a careful and competent human driver.

In our response, we emphasised that clear, evidence-based principles will be vital to setting consistent standards, supporting safe innovation and creating a transparent benchmark against which AV performance can be assessed.

Protected Marketing Terms

The second consultation covers the use of Protected Marketing Termsfor automated vehicles, aiming to prevent misleading claims about self-driving capability. We strongly support the introduction of these terms, noting that consistency in language is essential to avoiding confusion, protecting consumers, and ensuring that trust in AV technologies develops alongside their deployment.

Our Statement

ITS UK’s Chief Executive, Max Sugarman, said: “Automated vehicles are one of the most significant technological shifts in transport for decades. To ensure public confidence, it is vital that they are introduced safely, transparently and in a way the public can have confidence in.

“We support the Government’s aims for a Statement of Safety Principles and protecting key Marketing Terms to ensure we have the right standards and accountability for automated technology, and look forward to working with our membership, the industry and Government to progress the deployment of Automated Vehicles over the coming years.”

With Thanks

ITS UK’s responses were developed in close collaboration with its Connected and Automated Vehicle Forum, particularly Officers Ian Pengelly of 4Way Consulting, and Manish Kumar of Amey, alongside members across the automated and connected vehicles sector, reflecting industry expertise in safety, technology deployment, standards, and user behaviour.