Insurance proposals introduce AV crash liabilities on UK authorities

Local authorities in the UK could be subjected to insurance companies recovering money paid to cover claims if an autonomous vehicle crash is deemed to have been caused by road markings that were incorrect or unreadable by the vehicle. That is the view of Ben Howarth, senior policy advisor according to the Association of British Insurers. Answering questions at a Policy-UK event about proposals for insurance changes to cover connected and autonomous vehicles, Howarth said the ABI expected AVs to be used i
April 28, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Local authorities in the UK could be subjected to insurance companies recovering money paid to cover claims if an autonomous vehicle crash is deemed to have been caused by road markings that were incorrect or unreadable by the vehicle. That is the view of  Ben Howarth,  senior policy advisor according to the Association of British Insurers.

Answering questions at a Policy-UK event about proposals for insurance changes to cover connected and autonomous vehicles, Howarth said the ABI expected AVs to be used in defined areas and that the councils would have a view on which roads were suitable. If a road was approved for use by AVs and an accident occurred in which some road defect – such as an obscured or worn out white line – was deemed to have contributed, then under the proposals the insurance company would be entitled to recover the payments from the council.

He added that he was unsure what would actually happen in practice. Asked why councils would approve roads for use by AVs if it left them exposed to such liabilities, Howarth replied: “That’s a question for the local authorities.”

Related Content

  • Mature solutions for emerging economies
    June 8, 2015
    Siemens’ Marcus Welz talks to David Crawford about suitable ITS solutions for emerging economies. Be bold in vision - and output - and user-oriented in practice,” Marcus Welz advises emerging economies planning ITS investments. Says the Siemens Group senior vice president and global sales director for ITS: “Their road users need better, more reliable and safer trips – but without costs increasing too much. The good news is that many countries are already tackling the big issues of traffic and the environmen
    Read More
  • Loop detection still has a part in traffic management
    March 2, 2012
    Bob Lees, co-founder of Diamond Consulting Services, on why the loop detector just refuses to go away. The more strident proponents of newer and emergent detection technologies are quick to highlight what they see as the disadvantages, and hence the imminent passing, of the humble inductive loop. The more prosaic will acknowledge that loops continue to have a part to play in traffic management, falling back on the assertion that it is all a question of application. And yet year after year the loop, despite
    Read More
  • Unlit bollard liability for UK authorities
    April 19, 2012
    A ruling by a court in Cambridge is likely to have major implications for councils and authorities across the UK after a cyclist won compensation when he collided with a bollard at night. These were placed on a cycle route to prevent vehicular access to the cycle path, which runs alongside the River Cam and is used day and night by cyclists who commute to/from Cambridge, as a safer alternative to using the busy A10.
    Read More
  • Abertis offers breath of fresh air
    December 20, 2022
    The idea of congestion charging zones in cities is well-established. But in Valencia, Spain, the authorities are considering something slightly different – and it has clear implications for the road user charging debate. Adam Hill talks to Christian Barrientos of Abertis Mobility Services
    Read More

Highlighted Content