On 17 June 2026, the Department for Transport and the UK government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles opened a new consultation inviting views from any interested parties on its draft statement of safety principles for automated vehicles [Automated vehicles: statement of safety principles consultation – GOV.UK]. The statement is a requirement under section 2 of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, which established the legal basis for the regulation of automated self-driving vehicles on the roads in Great Britain. Once finalised, the statement will set out the key safety principles which the Secretary of State will apply when assessing whether a vehicle should be considered capable of travelling autonomously and safely, with the overriding objectives being that: - any automated vehicle which is authorised to operate on the roads will achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or higher than, that of careful and competent human drivers; and - road safety will be better as a result of the use of automated vehicles on the roads than it would otherwise be. The draft statement proposes 10 key principles which any automated vehicle would be required to meet in order to be considered for authorisation to operate on the roads: - Self-driving vehicles should use the road in accordance with traffic laws and the Highway Code - Self-driving vehicles should comply with road traffic laws, speed limits, signage, road markings and any temporary restrictions such as roadworks or diversions. - Self-driving vehicles should maintain control over the vehicle at all times. - This includes performing the driving task smoothly, safely and in a stable manner, including during unexpected events or rapidly changing conditions. - Self-driving vehicles should predict, detect and respond to hazards proactively - This includes predicting and detecting potential or existing hazards and taking safe, timely and contextually appropriate