Look no hands! Car autopilots will be legal on motorways THIS year
MOTORISTS will be free to take their hands off the wheel and use “autopilot” driverless software on UK motorways as early as this year.
The Department for Transport says drivers with lane-keeping technology as an option will be allowed to go hands-free in slow-moving traffic up to 37mph.
It has set out how a vehicle with anAutomated Lane Keeping System could legally be used by a driver, as long as there is no evidence to “challenge the ability” of it to be used autonomously.
That means drivers will have to keep an eye on the road, even if their hands aren’t on the wheel.
Although the software enables a motorist to hand over control to their vehicle, it is short of being fully driverless.
It is designed to constantly monitor speed and keep a safe distance from other road users, normally using cameras and sensors.
The DfT describes ALKS as “traffic jam chauffeur technology”.
In the event the system detects an
“imminent collision risk”, it will carry out an “emergency manoeuvre” – braking or swerving.
The DfT claimed the technology could boost road safety as human error “contributes to over 85 per cent of accidents”.
A consultation has been launched on updates to the Highway Code to ensure autonomous systems are used safely and responsibly. Jim Holder, of What Car? magazine, reckons the policy is a “sensible first step” towards autonomous driving.
But Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “What happens when drivers have to take back control in an emergency? It can take drivers several seconds to regain command of their vehicle.”