Motorists could be allowed to let their cars drive themselves on motorways, using automated technology, as early as next year, under proposals being considered by the government.
Manufacturers are expected to roll out the next generation of collision-avoidance and lane-keeping technology in new car models in 2021. They will progress from providing alerts and driver assistance to taking control – and potentially responsibility – for speed and steering once under way.
While the technology has been envisaged to help navigate traffic jams at low speed, the government is considering legalising it for use at speeds of up to 70mph in the slow lanes of motorways, with the cars automatically staying in lane and slowing down for vehicles in front.
A crucial question in the government consultation, launched on Tuesday, is whether the driver will be held legally responsible for the car or whether the car will be defined as an automated vehicle.
While the driver must remain ready to take over when prompted by the vehicle, it could be ruled that the technology provider would be legally responsible when the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) is engaged.
The transport minister, Rachel Maclean, said the outcome could be a significant step forward in changing the way cars are driven: “Automated technology could make driving safer, smoother and easier for motorists, and the UK should be the first country to see these benefits, attracting manufacturers to develop and test new technologies.”
The AA backed the moves. Edmund King, president of the motoring organisation, said the government was “right to be consulting on the latest collision-avoidance system, which has the potential to make our roads even safer in the future”.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said it could prove “life-changing”, adding: “This advanced technology is ready for rollout in new models from as early as 2021, so today’s announcement is a welcome step in preparing the UK for its use, so we can be among the first to grasp the benefits of this road safety revolution.”
However, some were sceptical that cars would be designated as legally automated, as the government suggested. Jim Holder, editorial director of What Car?, said: “This is an industry under massive financial pressure. Why they would take on another huge insurance risk?”
Holder said trials of automated lane keeping technology so far were not reassuring: “They’re not necessarily at the point where you’d trust them enough. They work 90% of the time, but that’s not enough.”
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