LONDON (CU)_For the first time in history, self-driving vehicles may appear on public roads in the UK, as the European nation became the first country in the world to announce plans to regulate the use of such cars as soon as this year. London hopes to be a frontrunner in rolling out autonomous driving technology, with Britain’s transport ministry forecasting that by 2035, around 40 per cent of new cars in the country to be self-driven.
“The automotive industry welcomes this vital step to permit the use of automated vehicles on UK roads, which will put Britain in the vanguard of road safety and automotive technology,” Mike Hawes, chief executive of car industry lobby group The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the ministry have launched several initiatives to ensure the safe use of self-driving vehicle systems, including an update on the country’s Highway Code which will include Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS). These systems will use software and sensors to keep vehicles within a lane, thereby enabling them to accelerate and brake without human input. According to the government, the speed limits of 37 miles (60 km) per hour will be introduced for these ALKS, which will only be set up in motorways.
However, insurance companies in the UK have warned of the risks associated with the initiative, calling on regulators and automakers to detail the current limitations of the technology. In the United States, about 20 crashes have involved Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ system and other driver assistance tools, after drivers misunderstood the limits of the autonomous driving technology.
Therefore, experts point out that the use of terms such as ‘automated’ and ‘self-driving’, would confuse British drivers into thinking that the vehicles can drive themselves. This would cause fatal accidents and would also risk developing scepticism over the safety of the technology.
“Aside from the lack of technical capabilities, by calling ALKS automated our concern also is that the UK Government is contributing to the confusion and frequent misuse of assisted driving systems that have unfortunately already led to many tragic deaths,” Matthew Avery, research director at Thatcham Research, which has tested ALKS systems, said.
