IL DIRITTO DELLA NAVIGAZIONE E DEI TRASPORTI E I NUOVI VEICOLI

The author examines the evolution of navigation and transport law, taking into account new technological developments and the challenges of environmental sustainability, starting from the consideration that the field of transport has always influenced the evolution of civilizations, that the current historical phase is characterized by an increase in traffic and mobility, also thanks to the introduction of vehicles with greater autonomy and speed, and with the prospect of the introduction of autonomous or remote-controlled vehicles, which raise legal questions regarding their admission to traffic and liability in the event of accidents. On the other hand, there is an awareness of the need to ensure the environmental sustainability of human activities, including transportation.
The speed and range of non-stop travel, especially in air traffic control, have affected ground-based support systems and led to a review of the organization of traffic control. The author raises questions about the duties of operators of assistance and control systems and about the relationship between the captain of a ship or aircraft or the driver of a land vehicle on the one hand and automated systems on the other.
The author also notes that International Conventions in the field of Navigation often lack a clear definition of «ship» or «aircraft» and how this creates problems in the application and interpretation of regulations. More generally, there is a need to adapt legal norms to technological and socio-economic evolution, and to identify the point at which new transport technologies cannot be applied to those introduced to regulate traditional transport systems.