Robotaxis, ADAS And The Regulatory Framework For Self-driving Vehicles In Great Britain

2026 looks set to be a significant year in the road to autonomous driving in Great Britain and, against a backdrop of fragmented global regulation for the deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs), the UK Government is seeking to put itself near the front of the pack by encouraging AV trials and by having established high-level regulations in the form of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (the AV Act).

This Article provides an overview of the regulatory environment for AVs in Great Britain under the AV Act and explores some of its core components in more detail.

Introduction

Trials of self-driving passenger vehicles by Waymo, Wayve and Baidu (partnering with Uber and Lyft) are hitting London's roads in 2026 and, globally, several OEMs, including Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, Ford and GM, are actively refining or developing SAE Level 3 'eyes off' Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for private vehicles.