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

  • ‘Risky tailgating and speeding rife on UK motorways’
    May 22, 2014
    Six in ten UK drivers own up to risky tailgating (57 per cent) and a similar proportion break the limit by 10mph or more (60 per cent) on motorways and 70mph dual carriageways, with men by far the worst offenders, a survey by Brake and insurance company Direct Line reveals. Almost all drivers say they worry about other drivers tailgating on motorways: 95 per cent are at least occasionally concerned about vehicles too close behind them; more than four in ten (44 per cent) are concerned every, or most, tim
  • EastLink receives special commendation from ADVI
    July 24, 2017
    One of Australia’s largest tollways, EastLink in Victoria, has received a Special Commendation from the Australia & New Zealand Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI), for the trials of automated vehicle technologies underway on EastLink. The trials are being undertaken by EastLink in partnership with VicRoads, ARRB, La Trobe University and RACV, with the assistance of major vehicle manufacturers, including BMW, Honda, Mercedes, Mitsubishi and Volvo. The most recent technology demonstration involved the new T
  • Centralised remote control in ports opens endless digitisation possibilities
    August 5, 2021
    Port Intelligent Twins speed up upgrades in the port & shipping industry
  • Uber clean-up - those all-important facts and figures
    September 11, 2020
    Ride-hailing giant says it can switch to all-electric vehicles 'in any major city' by 2030