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Liability Allocation for Autonomous Vehicles: From Driving Modes to Insurance Pricing

Objective

The proposed project, LiAVbility, introduces a novel, operational liability-sharing framework to address one of the most critical barriers to the large-scale deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs): the lack of a scalable, publicly acceptable model for economic liability allocation. Rather than relying on traditional legal or ethics-led approaches, this project adopts a data-driven, engineering-based perspective to allocate accident liability based on who makes which driving decisions. Under this framework, AV users select a preferred driving mode (e.g. safe, eco, comfort, sport), while the system executes the corresponding algorithm developed by the AV manufacturer (OEM). The OEM assumes baseline liability for the safest mode, and users bear an incremental insurance premium if they opt for riskier modes, proportionate to the mode's ex ante crash risk.

To implement this, the project combines three interdisciplinary work packages. WP1 derives human driving preferences from naturalistic datasets using Inverse Soft Q-learning, clusters them, and trains distinct AV control policies via deep reinforcement learning. WP2 builds high-fidelity SUMO simulation networks calibrated against real-world traffic and accident data to generate accurate crash metrics for each mode. WP3 translates these metrics into actuarially grounded insurance premiums, further adjusted through large-scale public surveys to ensure fairness and social acceptability.

This project advances the state-of-the-art by linking technical AV control performance with societal deployment via a transparent and actionable liability-pricing model. Hosted at TU Delft with a secondment at VU Amsterdam, LiAVbility integrates control engineering, actuarial science, and behavioural economics to deliver a deployable platform supported by insurers and OEMs. It is expected to enhance trust, reduce litigation risk, and accelerate the safe, large-scale adoption of AVs across Europe.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 217 076,16
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Partners (1)

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