Skip to main content

UK government launches consultation on automated vehicles

The UK government has launched a major consultation to help pave the way for automated cars to be used on British roads, with all drivers invited to have their say. Under the proposed measures, rules will be changed so automated vehicles can be insured for use on the roads. In addition, the Highway Code and regulations are to be altered so advanced driver assistance systems that change lanes on the motorway and park the vehicle by remote control can be used safely. Separately, the government will n
July 18, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The UK government has launched a major consultation to help pave the way for automated cars to be used on British roads, with all drivers invited to have their say.

Under the proposed measures, rules will be changed so automated vehicles can be insured for use on the roads.

In addition, the Highway Code and regulations are to be altered so advanced driver assistance systems that change lanes on the motorway and park the vehicle by remote control can be used safely.

Separately, the government will next month launch a competition for a further US$39.7 million (£30 million) from the Intelligent Mobility Fund, for research and development of innovative connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.

This builds on the first US$26.5 million (£20 million) awarded to a number of projects in February and ensures the UK is able to take advantage of the latest technological developments in driverless cars research. An additional US$25 million (£19 million) fund is also paving the way for driverless car projects in Greenwich, Bristol, and a joint project in Milton Keynes and Coventry.

Cars with advanced driver assistance features, like remote control parking and motorway assist, are expected to be on sale in Britain in the next two to four years with automated and driverless vehicles expected on the roads any time from the mid-2020s onwards.

Related Content

  • How WiM helps authorities identify repeat offenders
    May 31, 2023
    Company profiling – the process of identifying repeat corporate offenders when it comes to things like truck overloading – is one of many uses of WiM. And it may become more important
  • Cubic and partners develop gateless technologies to speed passenger management
    September 15, 2016
    Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is to collaborate with a diverse team of industry and academic partners to develop a prototype that integrates future ticketing technologies to support a doubled rate of passenger throughput at fare gates in train stations. According to travel projections, the number of journeys for passenger rail is likely to double over the next 30 years. Cubic’s submitted proposal, Fastback Gateless Gate line, to the Railway Standards and Safety Board’s (RSSB) Future Ticketing Detec
  • C/AVs could mean cheaper roads
    October 28, 2019
    The safety benefits of C/AVs have long been promoted – but research suggests they should also contribute to cheaper roads. David Crawford investigates the potential benefits in infrastructure costs Building narrower freeway lanes to accommodate the enhanced route-tracking capabilities of connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs), running in platoon conditions, could result in cost savings of £0.5 million (€0.56 million or US$6.5 million) for every km of road length built. Such benefits could be secur
  • Affordable e-motorbike launches in UK
    July 21, 2017
    A new zero-emission, crowd funded electric motorbike has officially launched in the UK and its developers expect it to reinvent British urban mobility. The Super Soco has been specifically developed to revitalise urban mobility and commuting while reducing emissions and noise pollution. The new e-motorbikes, designed and manufactured in China, are the result of a joint venture between Australian electric scooter company V-Moto and a US$15 million Chinese crowd funded project. The bikes combine the latest