The Government believes that self-driving cars will have the power to transform UK roads – boosting safety and improving accessibility for those unable to drive, as well as potentially reducing emissions.
A number of vehicles (such as cars, coaches and lorries) with self-driving features could be available to purchase as early as next year, for which consumers would need a valid driving licence.
But the wider rollout of self-driving vehicles, which will include public transport and delivery vehicles, is set to be implemented by 2025. These vehicles will not require a driving licence, as they will be driving entirely themselves for the duration of the journey.
The initiative holds great economic promise, the Department for Transport claims, predicting that it will create £38,000 jobs, in a market estimated to be worth £42 billion.
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, commented: “The benefits of self-driving vehicles have the potential to be huge. Not only can they improve people’s access to education and other vital services, but the industry itself can create tens of thousands of job opportunities throughout the country.
“Most importantly, they’re expected to make our roads safer by reducing the dangers of driver error in road collisions."
“We want the UK to be at the forefront of developing and using this fantastic technology, and that is why we are investing millions in vital research into safety and setting the legislation to ensure we gain the full benefits that this technology promises,” said Shapps.
£34 million will be invested in research and consultation with experts into safety developments. Such research could include analysing the performance of self-driving cars in poor weather conditions, as well as their interactions with pedestrians, other drivers, and cyclists. This will help to inform new regulations to make sure that self-driving vehicles are manufactured to be as trustworthy and competent as a human driver.
Building on existing laws, this new legislation will further emphasise that manufacturers, rather than human drivers, will be held accountable for any incidents when the vehicle is in control.
AA president, Edmund King, said: “The automotive world is changing rapidly and so the Government is right to embrace the positive changes offered by this new technology and back it by funding research and putting forward legislation.
"Assisted driving systems, for example, autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, are already helping millions of drivers stay safe on the roads.
“It is still quite a big leap from assisted driving, where the driver is still in control, to self-driving, where the car takes control. It is important that the Government does study how these vehicles would interact with other road users on different roads and [under] changing weather conditions.
“However, the ultimate prize, in terms of saving thousands of lives and improving the mobility of the elderly and the less mobile, is well worth pursuing.”