[1/2] File photo: Heavy traffic as seen on the M3 motorway heading towards the English coast, near Southampton, Britain, August 7, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Britain will make the makers rather than the owners of self-driving cars legally liable for any crashes under a framework for developing autonomous vehicles (AV), the government said on Tuesday, in a move welcomed by insurers and AV startups. King Charles said the government would bring forward an Automated Vehicles Bill as he set out the government's legislative agenda for the forthcoming parliamentary session, after one promised last year did not materialise. "My ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles," Charles said in a speech to lawmakers. The bill will establish processes to investigate incidents and improve the safety framework, and will also set the threshold for what is classified as a self-driving car.

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Persons: Toby Melville, King Charles, Charles, Tara Foley, Alex Kendall, Paul Newman, Alistair Smout, Nick Carey, William James, Kate Holton, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Ireland, AXA, Companies, Microsoft, Motors, Oxford, Thomson Locations: Southampton, Britain, U.S, California