UK Is First Country to Green Light Self-Driving Cars on Motorways
The UK government on Wednesday became the first country to announce it will regulate the use of self-driving vehicles at slow speeds on motorways, with the first such cars possibly appearing on public roads as soon as this year.
Britain’s transport ministry said it was working on specific wording to update the country’s highway code for the safe use of self-driving vehicle systems, starting with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) – which use sensors and software to keep cars within a lane, allowing them to accelerate and brake without driver input.
Government paves the way for hands-free driving on UK motorways by the end of this year - but insurers warn that calling tech self-driving may cause a spike in accidents
DfT announced this morning that the first types of self-driving vehicles could be on UK roads by end of 2021
Automated Lane Keeping Systems would permit hands-free driving on motorways at speeds up to 37mph
Ministers say the tech could ease congestion, cut emissions and reduce accidents caused by human error
Consultation to take place to make changes to Highway Code to allow these systems to be used on the road
By Nick Carey LONDON (Reuters) - The UK government on Wednesday became the first country to announce it will regulate the use of self-driving vehicles.