Transport minister Simon Lightwood has confirmed that the government will ban certain terms from being used to market automated vehicles that do not meet self-driving standards. The announcement came in a written ministerial statement, outlining new regulations under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
New Marketing Restrictions
Terms reserved exclusively for authorised or listed vehicles include: automated, automated driving, autonomous, autonomous driving, drive autonomously, drive itself, driverless, and self-driving. The government also confirmed that the words 'automated' and 'autonomous' will only be protected when used to describe a vehicle as a whole or its overall driving capability, while remaining permissible for specific parts or features—such as automated windscreen wipers or autonomous emergency braking.
Lightwood stated: “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.” He emphasised that misleading marketing of automated vehicles is dangerous, as it can mislead drivers into believing they do not need to pay attention to the road.
Safety Concerns and Enforcement
The minister warned: “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.” He added that the authorisation process would be undermined if businesses claim their vehicles are self-driving without proper authorisation, leading to confusion about vehicle capabilities and driver responsibilities.
Marketing communications likely to confuse end-users into thinking an unauthorised vehicle is capable of driving itself—including through the use of unprotected terms—will be enforced under section 79 of the act. The government will keep the list of protected terms under review, with the possibility of adding more in the future.
Background and Consultation
Labour's consultation aimed to safeguard the integrity of the authorisation process, ensure public safety, and build public trust in the technology. The Transport Secretary will be responsible for enforcing the market offences under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. The regulations are designed to prevent confusion as more high-end driver assistance systems enter the market.
