U.K. Green-Lights Driverless Cars on Public Roads

The U.K. government gives the green light for testing driverless cars on public roads, saying driverless cars are the future and it is developing a light-touch, non-regulatory approach to the testing and development of the technology.

Announcing the move, Transport Minister Claire Perry says the U.K.’s regulatory environment now sets it apart as a premium location for developing new technology, with tremendous potential for reducing accidents and making traffic flow more smoothly.

“I want Britain to be at the forefront of this exciting new development, to embrace a technology that could transform our roads and open up a brand new route for global investment,” Perry says in a statement.

“These are still early days, but today is an important step. The trials present a fantastic opportunity for this county to take a lead internationally in the development of this new technology.”

The government statement says the decision shows the U.K.’s commitment to take driverless technology to the next level and investigate how vehicles that can take greater control could improve both the driving experience and safety.

The announcement follows a 6-month-long Department for Transport review that considered the best and safest ways to test automated vehicles allowing an individual to take control of the car if necessary. It also looked further ahead to the implications of testing fully automated vehicles.

“The review provides legal clarity to encourage U.K. and international industry to invest in this technology, and it encourages the largest global businesses to come to the U.K. to develop and test new models,” the government says.

“Our review of existing legislation found that our legal and regulatory framework is not a barrier to the testing of automated vehicles on public roads.

“Real-world testing of automated technologies is possible in the U.K. today, providing a test driver is present and takes responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle; and that the vehicle can be used compatibly with road-traffic law.”

Getting Out Front Globally

The U.S. was the first country to introduce legislation to permit testing of automated vehicles, but only four states have done this.

The review says 15 states have rejected legislation related to automated driving and NHTSA has issued a preliminary policy statement advising states against authorizing members of the public to use self-driving vehicle technology at this time.

In Europe, only Germany and Sweden are known to have completed a review of their legislation in this area, with three other countries now conducting reviews.

“Those wishing to conduct tests in the U.K. are not limited to the test track or certain geographical areas, do not need to obtain certificates or permits and are not required to provide a surety bond (provided they have insurance arranged),” the review says.

What makes the U.K. the ideal center for testing and developing the technologies, the review says, is it has some of the most challenging and diverse traffic, road and weather conditions in Europe, and London is Europe’s only “megacity.”

The next step is for the government to introduce a code of practice providing industry with the framework needed to test cars in real-life scenarios, and to create more sophisticated versions of models that already exist.

The code is scheduled for publication in the spring, with the first driverless cars supported by a government prize fund expected to be tested on roads by the summer.

Business Secretary Vince Cable says the government is providing £19 million ($29 million) for driverless car trials in Greenwich, Bristol, Milton Keynes and Coventry, “to help to ensure we are world leaders in this field and able to benefit from what is expected to be a £900 billion ($1.4 trillion) industry by 2025.”

Cable is to join Perry in Greenwich to watch the first official trials of the fully autonomous Meridian shuttle and unveil a prototype of a driverless pod that will be tested in public areas in Milton Keynes.

They also will be shown other autonomous vehicles involved in the trials, including a vehicle that is the result of years of advanced research and development by BAE Systems and will be tested in Bristol.