Autonomous Vehicles: Statement of Safety Principles Consultation

MCIA has today submitted its response (see PDF file below) to the Government’s consultation on the Statement of Safety Principles (SoSP) for Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). 

The main argument in our submission is that AVs make the roads safer for everyone, particularly for vulnerable road users (VRU) such as moped and motorcycle riders.

AV technology still struggles to detect and respond consistently to mopeds and motorcycles. Our submission urges the Government to ensure that the SoSP:

·       Sets clear, enforceable technical requirements for ADS, aligned with recognised standards.
·       Requires ongoing testing and certification of both hardware and software.
·       Demands robust detection and response to motorcycles and mopeds in all road and weather conditions.
·       Prevents the approval of ADS that cannot reliably detect and record collisions with VRUs.
·       Embeds fairness and accountability, so AVs must reduce risks for VRUs, not shift dangers onto them. 

Additional Arguments
·    Motorcycles and mopeds must be placed at the top of the vulnerability hierarchy in AV safety frameworks.
·    ADS should be required to demonstrate measurable reductions in collision risk for VRUs, not just parity with human drivers.
·    Public trust depends on transparency - AV safety data and incident records should be published as standard.

Tony Campbell, CEO of MCIA said “Motorcyclists and all other powered two-wheel riders are all too often the forgotten road user in the discussion and planning as we move toward the introduction of automated vehicles. If the Statement of Safety Principles do not demand rigorous standards for detecting and responding to all types of road users, there is a significant risk in making roads more dangerous, not safer. Automated vehicles will clearly play a role in the future of transport, but only if they deliver genuine safety improvements, are trusted by the public and integrate into the transport system safely.  We strongly urge Government not to overlook Motorcyclists and all other road users throughout this process”       

To read the full MCIA response, please see below PDF file for downloading.

For any queries regarding this response, please contact Alfie Brierley, Director of Policy and Public Affairs.