UK government gives driverless car trials the greenlight - following a highway code update
The department for transport has announced its intention to help the UK become a world leader in driverless technology by giving the go-ahead to public trials of AI-led vehicles.
The department made the announcement on Tuesday (10 February) admitting it will have to update the Highway Code to accommodate driverless motors before spring so they can be tested in public.
The first trials will include the BAE wildcat in Bristol;
The trial of the Meridian shuttle in Greenwich;
And the LUTZ Pathfinder pod in Milton Keynes.
Many of the early UK trials will benefit from a £19m government driverless car research grant.
Claire Perry, UK transport minister, said: “Driverless cars are the future. 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.
“These are still early days but today is an important step. The trials present a fantastic opportunity for this country to take a lead internationally in the development of this new technology.”
The announcement follows research from uSwitch claiming that 43 per cent of the UK public distrust driverless cars.