Tag: autonomous vehicles
Drivers Overlook Lifesaving Tech, IAM RoadSmart Study Finds
A significant number of UK drivers are failing to utilize driver assistance technologies that could enhance safety and comfort, according to a new report by IAM RoadSmart. The study reveals that a third of drivers never use these aids, with only a quarter regularly engaging with them. Based on a survey of over 2,000 drivers,…
UK’s first ‘driverless bus’ service launches on Forth Road Bridge
Autonomous buses were demonstrated on the Forth Road Bridge on Thursday ahead of going into passenger service in what's being billed as the most complex test of the technology anywhere in the world. From 15th May 2023, the project’s fleet of five Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV autonomous buses will operate a scheduled passenger service seven days a…
Coventry University to play key role in bringing self-driving vehicles to city
Coventry University is set to play a key role in an extensive new trial of self-driving technology on the city’s streets. The £15.2 million Multi-Area Connected Automated Mobility (MACAM) Project will begin a trial of self-driving technology within Coventry city centre and at the NEC in around 18 months’ time. The project is led by…
Autonomous technology requires education for drivers, warns safety charity
Independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has highlighted the need to ensure government and car makers prioritise training drivers for autonomous vehicles in its evidence to a House of Commons Transport Committee Inquiry. The government recently outlined its plans for self-driving, or autonomous, vehicles to be rolled out on UK roads from 2025, with some…
Westfield trials autonomous POD vehicle in the Lake District
West Midlands based firm Westfield Technology, best known for its niche sports cars, is trialling an autonomous vehicle in the Lake District in what it's claiming is a huge breakthrough for driverless travel. The pod, designed and built in the UK, is currently running at Brockhole Visitor Centre, near Windermere and doesn’t feature a safety…
Ocado to roll out autonomous vehicles for grocery delivery
Online grocery shopping company Ocado has announced a partnership with Oxbotica to collaborate on deploying autonomous vehicles for use in its customer fulfilment centre (CFC), as well as last-mile deliveries and even kerb to kitchen robots. The Ocado/Oxbotica relationship began in 2017, when it conducted a two-week trial using an early prototype delivery vehicle doing…
Only 1 in 4 trust driverless cars, suggests survey
Motorists are not ready to take their hands off the wheel and surrender control to driverless cars, research by the AA suggests. The British motoring association has found that while many people see the benefits, such as improved mobility for the elderly and disabled, the cultural attachment to cars is stronger than technology and the…
Department of Transport agrees programme for autonomous vehicles
A programme to help create industry standards for autonomous vehicles has been unveiled in the hope of accelerating the successful rollout of self-driving cars in the UK. The scheme has been launched by the Department for Transport, alongside the British Standards Institution (BSI), the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, and industry groups Innovate UK…
Driverless cars can work together to keep traffic moving, research finds
A fleet of driverless cars working together to keep traffic moving smoothly could improve overall vehicle flow by at least a third, a study using scale models has shown. A team of researchers at Cambridge University programmed 16 miniature robotic cars to drive around a two-lane track and observed how the traffic flow changed when…
Self-driving truck trialled on A14 in a bid to speed up UK roadworks
A self-driving 25-tonne dumper truck is being trialled in a bid to speed up UK roadworks. The vehicle, which can carry a 40-tonne load, has been fitted with gadgets originally developed for autonomous trucks in Australian mines, including a laser light unit to spot objects in its way. It is being tested off the A14…
