The future of automated vehicles – data sharing

DAC Beachcroft has released part one of two of its final episode in its Reading the Road: The Role of Data in Automated Vehicle Deployment podcast series, exploring one of the most important issues in automated vehicle (AV) deployment: how vehicle-generated data is stored, shared and used.

Drawing together perspectives from the insurance and vehicle technology sectors, the episode examines why effective data-sharing frameworks will be critical to building trust in self-driving technology and ensuring fair outcomes following collisions.

The discussion features Alina Liebholz, Future Mobility Strategy Lead at the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB); Fraser Lyall, Senior Policy Lead for Motor and Travel Insurance at the Association of British Insurers (ABI); and Tom Leggett, Vehicle Technology and Research Manager at Thatcham Research. Together, they consider the importance of the vast quantities of data generated by AVs and the challenge of identifying the limited datasets required to investigate incidents, determine liability and support compensation claims.

A key focus is the role of the Data Storage System for Automated Driving (DSSAD) and whether legislation should mandate access to essential collision-related data. The speakers contend that a standardised, mandatory approach would provide certainty for insurers, support the MIB in its role as a compensation body for victims of uninsured automated vehicles, and help establish public confidence in the technology.

The episode also explores the balance between data access and protection of commercially sensitive information, drawing comparisons with the aviation industry’s approach to transparency and accident investigation. Looking ahead, the panel discusses the opportunities for the UK to become a global leader in AV regulation by establishing clear, consistent rules on data sharing.

The conversation highlights why data governance may prove just as important as AV technology itself in shaping the future of mobility

Watch Episode 6 Part 1 now – https://dacbeachcroft-1.wistia.com/s/w9yfga65xwvi3cs

Listen to the other podcasts in the series here: https://csg.dacbeachcroft.com/readingtheroad/podcasts