Harmonisation could help regulatory headache posed by autonomous vehicles

Technological advances in autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been gaining pace across a wide spectrum of applications, from early mining applications and autonomous freight yards to driverless shuttles and robotaxis. Before most of these benefits can be realised, however, key questions need to be tackled on the regulatory side.

AVs demand a fresh look at industry regulation, including the testing of AVs on public roads, new concepts of liability and mandated technology to ensure these vehicles are as safe as possible. Location data specialist TomTom has been closely following developments. While TomTom's software and technologies are designed to increase safety and comfort in AVs, the company has also engineered its own self-driving test vehicle, Trillian, to facilitate developments on these technologies.

Stephanie Leonard, Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs, is tasked with steering the company safely through the rapidly changing regulatory environment. As she tells Automotive World, in many cases there are more questions than answers.