No need for safety drivers in AVs, says UK government

The UK government has signalled that it is ready to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) with no driver to be tested on public roads. It is already committed to having fully self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2021. At present, operators are legally required to test AVs only when “a driver is present, in or out of the vehicle, who is ready, able, and willing to resume control of the vehicle”. But the Department for Transport (DfT)’s updated code of practice on trialling AVs on public roads - as opposed t
February 7, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

The UK government has signalled that it is ready to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) with no driver to be tested on public roads.

It is already committed to having fully self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2021. At present, operators are legally required to test AVs only when “a driver is present, in or out of the vehicle, who is ready, able, and willing to resume control of the vehicle”.

But the 1837 Department for Transport (DfT)’s updated %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external code of practice false https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trialling-automated-vehicle-technologies-in-public false false%> on trialling AVs on public roads -  as opposed to test tracks - makes clear that this will no longer be a requirement in some circumstances.

However, any new process will be subject to “rigorous safety assessments”.

“The government is aware of the growing desire to conduct more advanced trials on public roads,” it reads. “Such trials may currently be outside of the law and may require support and facilitation from the DfT to proceed.”

“The government is supporting the safe, transparent trialling of this pioneering technology, which could transform the way we travel,” said Jesse Norman, future of mobility minister.

The DfT has now pledged to ‘develop and operate’ a process to support advanced trials on public roads for organisations which are ready to conduct such trials. Companies should contact DfT’s Centre for Connected & AVs (C/AVs) “as far in advance as possible”.

The UK’s market for C/AVs is estimated to be worth £52 billion by 2035.

Networking & Communication Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Uber IPO ‘could be valued at $120 billion’
    October 17, 2018
    Uber could be valued as high as $120 billion if the ride-hailing company goes public, as expected, in 2019 – despite being permanently in the red. Major US banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have made valuation proposals to Uber, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal this week. This means the initial public offering (IPO) could be one of the largest in history – and Uber has yet to record a full-year profit. If the figure is correct, it would mean that Uber is worth more than three of the
    Read More
  • ST adds BYD to Singapore bus consortium
    March 26, 2019
    ST Engineering has added BYD as its first partner in a consortium which seeks to deploy driverless buses in Singapore. The company is equipping BYD’s electric buses with autonomous vehicle technology. The vehicles will operate in the towns of Punggol, Tengah and the Juroung Innovation District located in Singapore’s western corridor. The consortium is being formed following a request from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority and the Singapore Economic Development Board to trial autonomous buses and shut
    Read More
  • ULEZ: London’s burning issue
    November 3, 2023
    Many Londoners lost their cool during the city’s massive, late-summer ULEZ expansion. Will it be worth the pain and what can other cities learn from it? Andrew Stone assesses the story so far…
    Read More
  • European Transport Conference
    July 3, 2015
    The 43rd European Transport Conference, organised by the Association for European Transport, takes place at Campus Westend, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany on 28 - 30 September 2015. The conference brings together people working in research, industry, and public policy to network, exchange knowledge, and inspire new ideas. First-class speakers from across the transport industry will talk on themes including: planning for the future, equity in transport, cycling, climate change, and emissions. Th
    Read More

Highlighted Content