A Guide For Businesses Considering Self-driving Fleets

This article is designed for general counsel, boards, fleet, procurement and operations teams considering automated cars, vans, HGVs or passenger vehicles. It sets out the key questions to ask before committing to a significant purchase or deployment.

Self-driving vehicles could change the economics, safety profile and operating model of commercial fleets. They also redistribute legal responsibility between the business operating the fleet, the person in the vehicle (if any), and the organisation responsible for the automated driving system.

The practical rule: do not buy based only on what the technology can do. Establish what it is legally authorised to do, who carries each responsibility, and what happens when something goes wrong.