The Government will stop certain terms from being used to market automated vehicles that do not meet self-driving standards. Part of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, the new rules aim to help prevent misunderstanding by ensuring that protected terms are only used when marketing vehicles that meet the required standards. Making the announcement in a written statement to Parliament, transport minister Simon Lightwood said: “These regulations will help prevent end-users in Great Britain from being misled into thinking that vehicles that are not authorised automated vehicles can safely and lawfully drive themselves. “Misleading marketing of automated vehicles is dangerous: it can mislead drivers into thinking that they do not need to pay attention to the road. “As more manufacturers offer high-end driver assistance systems, misleading marketing risks worsening road safety and could undermine trust and successful adoption of self-driving vehicle technology.” Ensure you always get Fleet News insight. Make us your preferred source on Google Lightwood (pictured below) issued the statement after the Department for Transport (DfT) published the outcome to a consultation on protecting marketing terms by identifying the words, expressions, symbols or marks that should only be used to describe authorised or listed automated vehicles The AV act sets out an authorisation process to determine whether a vehicle can drive itself safely and legally without being controlled or monitored by a human. “This process would be undermined if businesses are able to claim that their vehicles are self-driving without getting the vehicles authorised, which may lead to confusion about vehicle capabilities and driver responsibilities,” said Lightwood. Consultation outcome The consultation demonstrated broad support for protecting certain marketing terms so that they may only be used legally to describe vehicles authorised or listed as able to safely drive themselves. The following terms will be reserved for authorised or listed