Driverless cars to take to UK roads in 2015
Flying cars will probably never be a thing, but we know that driverless cars already are. And from next year, we’ll be seeing them in use on UK roads.
The government has announced that from January 2015, driverless cars will be allowed to use public roads.
Business secretary Vince Cable said that three UK cities would be selected to host trials of driverless car technology from 2015, and each project ws expected to last from 18 to 36 months.
“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,” he told the BBC.
Currently, driverless vehicles are only allowed on private roads, but the UK government hopes to become a global leader in this area.
Cable said that a £10m fund will be made available for driverless car research in the UK, jointly funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport.
He said the DfT would also review the laws governing road use, including the Highway Code and the Road Safety Act, to permit the testing of driverless cars on public roads.
In May, Google rolled out 100 self-driving cars in California, in a trial the tech giant hoped would pave the way for widespread global use.
