Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are vehicles that can
largely drive themselves without human input, combining digital
data transmission and automation technologies to make driving
decisions.[1] The main piece of legislation governing
CAVs is the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. It sets out a number of
key provisions, such as who is liable in case of a CAV committing
a driving offence.[2] However, much of the detail of
the legal framework is expected to be set out in secondary
legislation over the coming years.
There is disagreement about the safety benefits associated with a
large-scale deployment of autonomous passenger vehicles. Those in
favour typically state that autonomous cars are less likely to
crash [3] while those who are more sceptical argue
that like-for-like comparisons between human-driven and
autonomous vehicles are misleading [4] and that
autonomous vehicles have not driven enough miles to assess safety
performance.[5]
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Transport
Committee will focus on the potential impact of
autonomous passenger vehicles on other road users, particularly
vulnerable road users, children, older people and disabled
people. The Committee will also hear from operators of autonomous
passenger vehicles about their plans to launch their services in
London this year.
The guests are:
Panel One:
-
Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Safe
Autonomy, Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick,
UK
-
Rebecca Posner, Director of Inclusive
Research, Research Institute for Disabled Consumers
-
Tom Bogdanowicz, Senior Policy Officer, London
Cycling Campaign
-
Navi Sunnia, Senior Engagement Officer
(London), Transport for All
Panel Two:
-
Sarah Gates, Vice President, Global Affairs
and Assurance, Wayve
-
Danny O'Gorman, General Manager, Freenow
-
Ben Loewenstein, Head of Policy and Government
Affairs, UK and Europe, Waymo
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 24 June
at 10am in the Chamber at City Hall,
Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Notes for editors:
- Caltrans, Connected and Automated
Vehicles [accessed 28 April 2026]
- Automated Vehicles Act 2024, ss.46-52
- Waymo, Safety [accessed 13 April
2026]
- Bloomberg, We Still Don't Know if
Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers, 6 January 2026
- Carnegie Mellon University, How Safe is Safe Enough
for Autonomous Vehicles, November 2022
- Read the agenda in
full
