Australia to develop national self-driving car law

Federal and state Transport Ministers have agreed to develop legislation that would allow self-driving vehicles to hit the roads by 2020.

Ministers have approved a proposal by the National Transport Commission (NTC) to develop a nationally consistent law for automated driving systems in time for the anticipated commercial rollout of self-driving vehicles in Australia.

The proposed uniform law would allow an automated driving system (ADS) to perform driving tasks while engaged, ensure that there is always a legal entity responsible for driving, set out obligations for both providers of ADS and users of automated vehicles, and provide flexible compliance and enforcement options.

The discussion paper proposing the new legislation was developed by the NTC in consultation with government and industry. It sets out 11 recommendations for the development of the proposed legislation.

The NTC now plans to work with road agencies and transport departments to develop detailed policy recommendations and legislative analysis for the proposed national law.

“With automated vehicles, there will be times when an ‘automated driving system’, rather than a human, will be in control of the vehicle. We need a nationally consistent law to know who is in control of a motor vehicle at any point in time,” NTC Chief Executive Paul Retter said.

“Without a change to existing laws or new law, there would be no-one to hold responsible for compliance with our road rules when an automated driving system is in control of a vehicle.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/bht2000

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