Driverless cars laws needed in Victoria, RACV says

LAWS allowing for driverless cars on our roads should be introduced in Victoria given the pace at which the technology is developing, according to the RACV.

The NSW Government will draft legislation to prepare for autonomous vehicles. Picture: Mark Stewart

NEW laws allowing for driverless cars to hit our roads should be introduced in Victoria given the pace at which the technology is developing, motoring group the RACV says.

The NSW Government has revealed it will draft legislation within the next 18 months to prepare for autonomous vehicles to be used by 2020.

Global companies Tesla and Uber have begun trialling the futuristic cars, and experts predict they will become more common within the next decade as authorities also try to reduce road deaths and congestion.

In a report to the Victorian Parliament last month, Infrastructure Victoria predicted driverless cars would shape the use of our roads and rail in the next three decades.

Victorian Roads Minister Luke Donnellan has previously said that driverless cars could help reduce the road toll by “removing human error from the equation”.

RACV public policy general manager Brian Negus said the Victorian Government and Federal Government should legislate soon, to ensure safe trials of driverless cars.

Infrastructure Victoria predicts driverless cars will shape the use of our roads in the next three decades.

“We do need to have the federal government and each state put in place a nationally uniform protocol so each state can then bring in regulation for trials of autonomous vehicles,” Mr Negus said.

“RACV urges the Victorian state government to move on this issue because the industry is leaping ahead with the introduction of smart technology in vehicles, and there are no regulations.”

In revealing a plan to introduce new laws north of the border, NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said such technology offers “several benefits, the biggest one being safety”.

“At the moment the most imperfect thing in a car or truck is us, the person behind the wheel,” Mr Gay said.

Victorian Roads Minister Luke Donnellan. Picture: Mark Stewart

Current laws prevent cars operating without a driver.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said federal and state governments were working to develop a consistent definition for what “proper control” of a vehicle in the autonomous age means.

“State and territory police forces generally interpret this to mean sitting in the driver’s seat with at least one hand on the wheel,” Mr Chester said.

“In August this year the COAG Transport and Infrastructure Council agreed to a national policy and action plan on emerging technologies, which outlines some short to medium term priorities.

“The current priorities include establishing a regulatory framework for safe testing on public roads, considering what digital and other infrastructure is needed and developing national operational guidelines.”

State Government spokesman Matthew Dixon said they announced a review of Victorian regulations relating to on-road testing and trials of highly automated vehicles at the ITS World Congress last month.

“By removing human error from the equation, self-driving vehicles will play a critical role in reducing deaths and serious injuries on Victorian roads,” Mr Dixon said.

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