Autonomous vehicle developers ‘must counter terrorist potential’

Vehicle developers will have to introduce measures to counter the potential use of autonomous vehicle by terrorists, according to Iain Forbes, head of the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. Replying to a question from ITS International during a panel session at the Driverless Technology Conference in London, Forbes said: “Security questions will be an important part of the debate about autonomous vehicles. I think that it would be amiss of any government to enable something tha
December 1, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Vehicle developers will have to introduce measures to counter the potential use of autonomous vehicle by terrorists, according to Iain Forbes, head of the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.

Replying to a question from 1846 ITS International during a panel session at the Driverless Technology Conference in London, Forbes said: “Security questions will be an important part of the debate about autonomous vehicles. I think that it would be amiss of any government to enable something that might introduce new risks to society.”

Speaking so soon after the attacks in Paris he said the question was very relevant: “It is something that will have to be resolved.” However he added that he did not think it was an insurmountable problem: “We identify potential risks and find ways to deal with them.”

Joost Vantomme from FEBiAC (which represents the Belgian car industry) observed that the question applied equally to drones: “The need for regulation of drones is a topic of discussion in the European Commission and European Parliament,” he said.

Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS New Zealand welcomes autonomous car testing in New Zealand
    February 25, 2016
    Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ) is enthusiastic about the future of their industry following the publication of Ministry of Transport guidelines for testing of autonomous vehicles on New Zealand roads. The guidelines outline rules and offer advice to any organisation considering testing of autonomous vehicles in New Zealand and encourage companies to share findings with the Ministry and NZ Transport Agency so that the country can benefit from the opportunities this emerging technology
    Read More
  • Transport MEPs set out steps to achieve transport roadmap goals
    July 15, 2015
    To ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of EU transport, concrete measures are still needed, said MEPs in a report adopted in the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) this week and intended to feed into the Commission review of the 2011 White Paper on Transport. Further efforts to boost air, road, rail and maritime transport, reduce road injuries and close loopholes in passenger rights legislation should be made, they add. The transport sector is a driving force of the EU economy and should
    Read More
  • Bringing the Internet of Mobility to life
    July 16, 2021
    As we chart our route to the ITS World Congress in Hamburg, a recent Ertico-ITS Europe webinar explored the future of connectivity including policy, infrastructure and security
    Read More
  • Open Mobile Alliance to moderate panel at Telematics West Coast
    October 24, 2014
    The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) is to moderate a panel at this year’s Telematics West Coast conference, 30 and 31 October at the Hilton San Diego. The panel titled ‘The car steps out into the connected world’ will be comprised of industry leaders and moderated by director Market Development, OMA, Dr Eshwar Pittampalli. The panel is set to cover the latest developments and predictions in the In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI) market and give visitors to the conference a detailed insight into whether the content
    Read More

Highlighted Content