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

  • Small toll agency adopts big city thinking
    December 5, 2014
    Andrew Bardin Williams looks at a novel option for new toll road authorities. While somewhat politically controversial, outsourcing has gained traction in the business world as a model worth investigating for its efficiency and cost saving benefits. Lean start-ups tend to employ independent contractors instead of full-time employees in an effort to remain flexible and avoid costs associated with pensions, retirement places, health insurance, office space and benefit packages.
    Read More
  • Drover AI’s Alex Nesic: ‘We’re still in the basement level of micromobility’
    April 12, 2022
    The micromobility revolution has reshaped the way we get around cities, but it has created some problems too. Drover AI’s PathPilot is here to help cities – and pedestrians – Alex Nesic tells Adam Hill
    Read More
  • Øresund bridges the front line for border crossing traffic
    September 15, 2016
    Timothy Compston considers the challenges faced by the operators of the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden, the largest structure of its kind across Europe. In light of the concerns about the ongoing security threat and the unprecedented flow of migrants, many of the countries that make up the Schengen Area in Europe have re-introduced border controls. For its part, Sweden has rolled out ID checks for train, bus and ferry passengers from Denmark placing the landmark Øresund Bridge very much on the fr
    Read More
  • Building Europe’s roads for driverless age
    June 17, 2022
    Creating smart, co-operative road transport systems that harness the white heat of technology won’t be easy but a new document shows the way – Andrew Stone does some reading…
    Read More

Highlighted Content