Autonomous Vehicles within the Urban Space and Transport Security Challenges: Legal Aspect

Abstract

Nowadays autonomous vehicles are getting widespread use in different parts of the world. In some countries, they are being tested within the urban traffic whereas other counties have been already operating them. Such vehicles possess a number of obvious advantages. We cannot but agree that these cars are the future. However, before complete implementation and mass use of autonomous transport on public roads, it is necessary to resolve a number of problems concerning their safety towards road-users. Except for ethical, economic, and other aspects, it also embraces the legal aspect. The article analyses legal problems of ensuring transport security when using autonomous vehicles. It also touches upon the issues of obligations and liability. Special attention is paid to the matters of criminal liability for offences involving an autonomous vehicle. The conducted legal research allowed concluding that it is necessary to improve legislation in the sphere of operating such vehicles. It is essential to enshrine in law autonomous vehicles (whether fully-autonomous or partially-autonomous) operation rules, oblige their owners to perform regular diagnostic assessment, and to add demands to periodic vehicle inspection. When regulating criminal liability for harm caused by a self-driving vehicle, one must proceed from the layer of its autonomy which stipulates bringing the general public to responsibility.