The development of so-called “driverless cars” has been heralded as one of the most important events in the motor insurance sector. Aside from their technological and lifestyle impact, which will be as significant as the introduction of private cars themselves, the implications for insurance are huge: potentially removing the human element to car operation brings into question some of the most basic principles of ownership and liability. This could have a fundamental impact on insurance, even down to how it is distributed. One of the key UK organisations involved in independently assessing the emerging technologies and understanding their implications for insurance is Thatcham Research, the world-leading automotive safety and security test centre.