Britain's classic car community has urged ministers to safeguard their operational freedoms ahead of the launch of fully autonomous vehicles on UK roads.
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, which acts on behalf of more than 500 clubs and 250,000 enthusiasts, has demanded that driverless cars must be capable of safely navigating around vintage vehicles without imposing new restrictions.
The organisation insists that introducing automated transport systems should not lead to any limitations or separation of existing road users.
Their intervention follows the Government's request for evidence on implementing safety standards for autonomous vehicles under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
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Experts have called for assurances from the Government to protect the classic car industry
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The FBHVC has provided input to the Government's consultation process, which focuses on establishing a 'Statement of Safety Principles' for completely autonomous vehicles, beginning with taxis.
The document requires approval from Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander before implementation.
According to the consultation framework, autonomous vehicles must demonstrate safety standards matching or exceeding those of "careful and competent" human drivers.
The Government aims for overall road safety improvements through automated vehicle deployment, given that the overwhelming majority of accidents involve human error.
Self-driving taxis are already being used across the United States | GETTYThe Federation has specifically requested that historic vehicles receive recognition as a distinct category of legacy road users within the new regulatory framework.
Lindsay Irvine, the FBHVC's Legislation Director, highlighted a crucial challenge facing automated vehicle development.
He said: "A careful and competent human driver may immediately recognise an 'old' historic vehicle and make allowances for its performance accordingly.
"An AV will have to be programmed to recognise the different characteristics, or the system designed to learn the differences."
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Autonomous systems will require sophisticated programming to identify and respond appropriately to the diverse range of historic vehicles on British roads, from veteran cars to classic motorcycles.
Irvine acknowledged that opposing automated vehicle technology would be counterproductive for the historic vehicle community.
"It not in our interest to resist the proposals and an AV will never tire, be distracted or intoxicated which are major causes of accidents," he stated.
He noted that technological advancement has always brought broader advantages, pointing out that many historic vehicles were themselves pioneering innovations in their era.
Self-driving cars could be available for hire in the UK as soon as next year | GETTYThe Federation said automated vehicles must be able to register the difference between the varying range of historic vehicles and their characteristics. This includes:
- Sizes - It should take into account pre-war cars, which tend to be smaller
- Construction - Classic cars could be made of different exterior materials, including wood or fabric, rather than metal or plastic
- Lighting - Some may use flashing indicators or require drivers to use hand signals
- Speeds - While far rarer nowadays, a handful of vehicles may be powered by steam engines and be far slower