How safe are Robocabs?
Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are vehicles that can largely drive themselves without human input, combining digital data transmission and automation technologies to make driving decisions.1 The main piece of legislation governing CAVs is the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. It sets out a number of key provisions, such as who is liable in case of a CAV committing a driving offence.2 However, much of the detail of the legal framework is expected to be set out in secondary legislation over the coming years.
There is disagreement about the safety benefits associated with a large-scale deployment of autonomous passenger vehicles. Those in favour typically state that autonomous cars are less likely to crash3 while those who are more sceptical argue that like-for-like comparisons between human-driven and autonomous vehicles are misleading4 and that autonomous vehicles have not driven enough miles to assess safety performance.5
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Transport Committee will focus on the potential impact of autonomous passenger vehicles on other road users, particularly vulnerable road users, children, older people and disabled people. The Committee will also hear from operators of autonomous passenger vehicles about their plans to launch their services in London this year.
The guests are:
Panel One:
- Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Safe Autonomy, Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick, UK
- Rebecca Posner, Director of Inclusive Research, Research Institute for Disabled Consumers
- Tom Bogdanowicz, Senior Policy Officer, London Cycling Campaign
- Navi Sunnia, Senior Engagement Officer (London), Transport for All
Panel Two:
- Sarah Gates, Vice President, Global Affairs and Assurance, Wayve
- Danny O’Gorman, General Manager, Freenow
- Ben Loewenstein, Head of Policy and Government Affairs, UK and Europe, Waymo
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 24 June at 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- Caltrans, Connected and Automated Vehicles [accessed 28 April 2026]
- Automated Vehicles Act 2024, ss.46-52
- Waymo, Safety [accessed 13 April 2026]
- Bloomberg, We Still Don’t Know if Robotaxis Are Safer Than Human Drivers, 6 January 2026
- Carnegie Mellon University, How Safe is Safe Enough for Autonomous Vehicles, November 2022
- Read the agenda in full
- Caroline Russell AM, Chair of the Transport Committee, is available for interview
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor
- Find out more about the work of the Transport Committee
For more details, please contact Alison Bell on 07887 832 918 or at [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer.