Driverless cars to make debut on British roads next year, Vince Cable says
Just think for one minute about the impact driverless cars could have on tackling social isolation for the rural elderly and reducing reckless young driver’s deaths on rural roads and this article becomes more exciting and relevant than the “science fiction” roots it seems to spring from.
Driverless cars will be manoeuvering themselves around British streets from next year, the business secretary said on Wednesday, as he unveiled a review into the laws that ban them from the country’s roads.
Vince Cable said the computer controlled vehicles would be trialled in three cities from next year, adding that the government would make a £10m fund available for developing the technology in the UK.
He said: “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.”
It is illegal for cars to operate on UK roads without a driver in control. Semi-autonomous systems, including those available in cars such as the Volvo XC90, which control the speed of cars and keep them in lanes on motorways, require the driver to be fit and licensed to drive and have their hands on the steering wheel at all times to stay within the law.