In the scenario where there is a critical flaw in the design of an autonomous vehicle, posing a significant risk to public safety, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) provides clear guidelines on the responsibilities of engineers. According to the IET’s Rules of Conduct, engineers must prioritise public safety and act to prevent avoidable dangers to health or safety.  

Applying the IET’s Rules of Conduct: 

• Prioritising Public Safety: 

• Engineers must take appropriate steps to prevent avoidable danger to health or safety.  

• If a design flaw could cause a significant risk to the public, engineers must stop production and implement necessary design changes to prevent the risk. 

Acting with Professionalism: 

• Engineers are required to be honest, ensuring that all potential risks are communicated to the right departments within the company.  

• If management dismisses these issues, engineers should raise the issues to appropriate internal channels. 

Reporting and Whistleblowing: 

• The IET advises that engineers should raise the issues internally, following their organisation’s procedures for reporting misconduct.  

• If internal reporting failed to address the issue, engineers should seek external guidance from the IET ethics advisors, regulatory bodies, or legal experts. 

• Should the company remain unresponsive, and the danger is still around, engineers have must report the matter to external authorities, such as the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE).