The transport minister said it was clear the self-driving technology works from a roll-out in California, where cars “without a safety driver, so in full, autonomous mode” are already on the roads…reports Asian Lite News
Self-driving cars could be on British roads as early as 2026, according to UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, the minister said he expected to see the owners of such vehicles being able to travel without having to watch where they’re going by the end of that year.
It came against the backdrop of the UK’s Automated Vehicles Bill, which lays out a set of laws for using autonomous vehicles and was introduced in Parliament last month. The government hopes it will pass through both Houses by the end of 2024.
“I think that’s when companies are expecting in 2026, during that year that we’ll start seeing this technology rolled out,” Harper told the BBC.
The transport minister said it was clear the self-driving technology works from a roll-out in California, where cars “without a safety driver, so in full, autonomous mode” are already on the roads.
“This technology exists, it works and what we’re doing is putting in place the proper legislation so that people can have full confidence in the safety of this technology, which I think is one of the important things we’ve got to do,” he said.
Harper also claimed autonomous driving “will actually improve road safety” in the UK.
“We already have a very good road safety record in Britain but there are still several thousand people a year killed on our roads. That could be improved,” he said.
He added: “The final thing is, there are a lot of people who currently don’t have the opportunity to get the freedom that many of us drivers take for granted.
“For example, there are people who have disabilities, people with learning disabilities, who don’t have the same freedom that driving brings the rest of us. This potentially opens up a whole new world for personal freedom, getting to work, having the ability to not have to rely on other people.” At present, several manufacturers offer driver assistance technology, with Tesla a market leader in offering what is known as “full self-driving capability”.
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