Driverless vehicles can’t recognise cop cars on 999 calls

THEY are touted as making driving safer and more fun.

But concerns are being raised about the risks of driverless cars – including that they may not spot police cars or temporary speed limits.

UK Government plans could see the rollout of technology to let people drive ‘handsfree’ vehicles on motorways, at speeds of up to 70mph.

The software, Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKs) could be in place by the end of this year. That would make it legal to drive at high speeds and change lanes hands-free – allowing motorists to ‘relax’ and ‘look at messages’.

Currently, a number of autonomous vehicles, including some buses, taxis and private cars, are in development.

But the Scottish Law Commission is concerned and warned that the tech may not be able to adjust to temporary speed limits, recognise police cars or register ‘soft-brush’ collisions with motorcycles.

The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) introduced rules for ALKs. In August, the UK Government issued a ‘Call for Evidence’.

The Scottish Law Commission report predicts it ‘could be approved in 2021’. It added: ‘ALKS is able to steer and control speed in lane for extended periods on motorways. They allow drivers caught in motorway traffic jams to relax and possibly perform other activities through the infotainment system, such as looking at messages.’

Initially, it is expected that ALKs will only allow driverless cars to travel at about 37mph – but the report said this could rise to the national motorway speed limit of 70mph in time.

If the system fails, the tech will issue the ‘driver’ with a ‘transition demand’, using escalating warning signals to alert the motorist that they have 10 seconds to take control. If they do not respond, the vehicle will perform a ‘minimum risk manoeuvre’, coming to a slow stop, with its hazard warning lights on.

Yet the Law Commission warned: ‘In some cases, ALKs may rely on the person in the driving seat to notice and respond to the situation, even in the absence of a transition demand. If the human in the driving seat is not monitoring the vehicle, how far can they be expected to intervene?’

‘They allow drivers to look at messages’

Last year Chief Superintendent Stewart Carle questioned if the vehicles’ computers could make appropriate and safe decisions.

In 2016, a former Navy SEAL became the first to be killed in a self-driving car after he ploughed into a lorry in Florida. Joshua Brown was allegedly watching a Harry Potter film in his luxury Tesla Model S at the time.

The vehicle’s computer system is believed to have failed to notice the truck because the sky was too bright, meaning its brakes were not activated during autopilot mode.