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Government Response and Statutory Instrument on Protecting Marketing Terms for Automated Vehicles
07 July 2026
Type
Written Ministerial Statement
Department
Department for Transport
At a Glance
Issue Summary
The statement addresses the implementation of regulations to protect marketing terms for automated vehicles as mandated by the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, aiming to prevent misleading advertising.
Action Requested
I have laid the Automated Vehicles (Marketing Restrictions) Regulations 2026 statutory instrument and published the Government Response to the Protecting Marketing Terms consultation. The regulations will protect certain terms for authorised or listed automated vehicles and enforce marketing restrictions through civil powers and potential criminal prosecution under the AV Act.
Key Facts
- The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets out an authorisation process for self-driving vehicles.
- Protected terms include 'self-driving', 'driverless', 'autonomous driving', 'automated driving', 'fully automated driving'.
- 'Automated' and 'autonomous' will be protected only when describing a vehicle's overall capability, not specific features.
- The general confusion offence (section 79) regulates additional terms such as 'robotaxi' and 'AI driver'.
- The maximum penalty for breaching marketing offences is a two-year prison term or a fine.
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