Research and analysis

Public perceptions on the safety of automated vehicles

Deliberative research into public perceptions of the safety of automated vehicles.

• From: Department for Transport and Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles
• Published: 17 June 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Statement of safety principles public perceptions research

PDF, 438 KB, 42 pages

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Details

Under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, the government must prepare a statement of safety principles. This will set out the safety expectations for automated vehicles (AVs) and must ensure that authorised AVs achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or higher than, that of careful and competent human drivers.

The ‘careful and competent’ standard is the legal benchmark used to assess whether a human driver is driving safely.

This research used deliberative methods to explore public perceptions of the ‘careful and competent’ safety standard.

Deliberative research is designed to help people engage with complex issues. It gives participants time to learn about the topic, consider different viewpoints and discuss trade-offs before forming informed views.

Engaging members of the public in this way provides insight into how the ‘careful and competent’ standard is understood and perceived. The findings will inform the development of the statement of safety principles.

Published 17 June 2026