What happens if an autonomous vehicle causes death or serious injury? Government minister outlines criminal liability framework
- Perry Richardson
- May 1
- 2 min read
The Government has reiterated that the UK’s criminal liability framework for autonomous vehicles is built around transferring responsibility away from drivers and towards companies and senior managers overseeing self-driving systems.
Responding to a parliamentary question from Caroline Voaden, Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said the Department for Transport had undertaken “significant work” to establish a revised liability framework through the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
The question asked what assessment had been made of the adequacy of criminal liability rules in cases where autonomous or connected vehicles cause death or serious injury.
Lightwood said the legislation followed recommendations made by the Law Commissions in 2024, which proposed that new legal entities should take liability when a vehicle is operating in self-driving mode.
Ministers say Automated Vehicles Act 2024 shifts legal responsibility to firms and senior managers when self-driving systems are in control
Under the framework, companies responsible for autonomous driving systems, along with senior managers, will be placed under a statutory “duty of candour”. Ministers said this requires honest and transparent disclosures to the Government, with failure to comply amounting to a criminal offence. The offence could be treated more seriously where incidents involve death or serious injury.
The minister added that the approach now forms the basis of the wider regulatory regime under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, with further detailed regulations still under development. The Department for Transport is currently reviewing industry and stakeholder responses submitted as part of its “Developing the Automated Vehicles Regulatory Framework” call for evidence.
For taxi and private hire sectors, the liability shift could become increasingly significant as autonomous vehicle technology begins integrating into commercial passenger transport services. Operators using authorised self-driving systems may face new compliance obligations linked to oversight, reporting and corporate governance rather than relying solely on traditional driver liability models.
Lightwood also clarified that connected vehicle technology alone does not alter existing criminal liability rules. He said the ability for vehicles to communicate externally “does not of itself affect the liability of the driver under existing criminal law”.
Lightwood MP said: “With regard to autonomous vehicles, the Department has undertaken significant work to establish a revised liability framework, as enacted by the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. This Act follows the recommendations of the Law Commissions in 2024 that new legal entities be required to take liability when a vehicle is driving itself. These legal entities and their senior managers will be under a duty of candour requiring honest and transparent disclosures to Government, with failure to comply with this duty constituting a criminal offence (which may be aggravated in the case of death or serious injury).
“This approach underpins the regime set out in the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 and consequent regulations. The Department is currently considering responses to the “Developing the Automated Vehicles Regulatory Framework” Call for Evidence, which relates to these regulations.
“The facility to communicate beyond the vehicle, as connected vehicles do, does not of itself affect the liability of the driver under existing criminal law.”
