Driverless cars are just around the corner

Fully autonomous models expected to be rolled out as early as 2026, Transport Secretary tells BBC

‘This technology exists, it works and what we’re doing is putting in place the proper legislation’

DRIVERLESS cars will be on the streets of the UK sooner than expected, the Transport Secretary has said.

Autonomous cars could be rolled out as early as 2026, with their use potentially improving road safety and giving more people access to driving, Mark Harper said.

“The legislation is going through Parliament at the moment so hopefully we’ll get that through by the end of 2024,” he told a special edition of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme guest-edited by James May, the former Top Gear presenter.

“Probably by as early as 2026, people will start seeing some elements of these cars that have full self-driving capabilities being rolled out.”

Asked if people will be able to travel in self-driving vehicles “with your hands off the wheel, doing your emails” in 2026, Mr Harper replied: “Yes, and I think that’s when companies are expecting – in 2026 year – that we’ll start seeing this technology rolled out.”

In October, The Daily Telegraph reported that the Government had drawn up plans for driverless cars to be on the roads by 2027.

Last month, the Automated Vehicles Bill to create a set of laws for using autonomous vehicles was introduced into Parliament.

Ford has been allowed to roll out its “Bluecruise” hands-free system for electric cars, which automatically adjusts speed, brakes on motorways and steers round corners after approval from the Department of Transport.

“We already know the technology works. You can see the technology being rolled out with a safety driver in place.

“I’ve seen the technology being used in California for example, without a safety driver, so in full, autonomous mode. This technology exists, it works and what we’re doing is putting in place the proper legislation so that people can have full confidence in the safety of this technology, which I think is one of the important things we’ve got to do.”

The Government is under pressure to welcome the burgeoning artificial intelligence industry, and has been urged to strengthen laws to allow driverless cars on to the street.

But some concerns have been raised about the safety of the new technology.

San Francisco suspended the use of self-driving cars built by Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, after an incident in which a pedestrian was run over after being thrown into the path of a driverless car in a hit-and-run. The company subsequently recalled all 950 of its cars to update their software.

A trial of driverless cars by Nissan ended in February after three years with no crashes recorded in 1,600 miles of testing, concluding that the vehicles are safe in urban environments.

Discussing the potential benefits of autonomous vehicles in a conversation with the former BBC presenter, Mr Harper said: “I think it will actually improve road safety. We already have a very good road safety record in Britain but there are still several thousand people a year killed on our roads,” he said. “That could be improved.

“It’s a big economic opportunity for Britain to get what will be a big global share of the market,” Mr Harper added.

“There are a lot of people who don’t have the opportunity to get the freedom that many of us drivers take for granted.

“For example, there are people who have disabilities, people with learning disabilities, who don’t have the same freedom that driving brings the rest of us.

“This potentially opens up a whole new world for personal freedom, getting to work, having the ability to not have to rely on other people.”