Regulatory Framework and Applicability for Dangerous Goods Transport: The Case of Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract

This research explores the scope of application and legislation for the transportation of dangerous goods (DG) in Europe. It also examines the changes in the regulation for the transportation of DG through driverless road vehicles. For this research, data was obtained from secondary documents and through in-depth interviews with experts in this domain from Finland. Research findings show that the scope of application varies from one European country to another, and the legal framework mostly followed in all EU countries for DG is the ADR agreement. According to the report, this is also a result of different member states’ interpretations of the regulations’ definition of a vehicle. Moreover, results also show that participating countries’ members indicate their willingness to harmonize DG scope of application, to enable a more equal transport sector. The study concludes by suggesting harmonizing the application of the laws pertaining to the transportation of DG. Moreover, this study also provides useful measures that could be considered to enable the transportation of DG through autonomous vehicles.