Automated Vehicles Act 2024

7 Transition demands

(1) Subsection (3) applies if authorisation requirements in relation to a vehicle with an authorised user-in-charge feature require the vehicle to be able to issue a transition demand while that feature is engaged.

(2) A “transition demand” is a demand, communicated by equipment of a vehicle in which an authorised user-in-charge feature is engaged, that the user-in-charge assume control of the vehicle by the end of a period of time beginning with the communication of the demand (the “transition period”).

(3) The Secretary of State must impose authorisation requirements designed to secure, so far as Secretary of State considers reasonably practicable, that—

(a) the transition demand will be capable of being perceived by anyone who might legally be a user-in-charge of the vehicle (having regard in particular to users-in-charge with disabilities),

(b) the transition period will be long enough for the user-in-charge to prepare to assume, and assume, control of the vehicle,

(c) the vehicle will continue to travel autonomously, safely and legally during the transition period,

(d) equipment of the vehicle will make a further communication at the end of the transition period to alert the user-in-charge to the ending of the period, and

(e) the vehicle will deal safely with a situation where the user-in-charge fails to assume control by the end of the transition period.