The government has announced that driverless cars will be expected to hit UK roads by the beginning of 2015.
The Department for Transport originally planned for driverless vehicles to make their way onto roads during 2013 but at the end of last month, Business Secretary Vince Cable unveiled details of a new plan.
He said:
“Today’s announcement will see driverless cars take to our streets in less than six months, putting us at the forefront of this transformational technology and opening up new opportunities for our economy and society.”
Countries across the globe have been experimenting with self-operating automobiles over the past few years. A driverless car in Canada has already done over 300,000 miles on the open road and in 2013 Nissan carried out Japan’s very first public road test of an autonomous vehicle on a highway.
The UK government is now inviting cities to compete to host one of three trials in this country and they have until October of this year to express their interest.
Funding of £10m has been secured to cover their costs, with the sum set to be divided between the three winners.
Up until now insurance and safety issues have prevented any developments in the UK as autonomous driving technology requires the abandonment of controls including a steering wheel and pedals and relying solely on the vehicle’s complex computer system.
A review of the country’s road regulations has been put in place to reassess guidelines ahead of the innovative introduction.
Source: BBC News