Britain on Friday said it wants self-driving vehicles on the road across the board by 2025, announcing plans for new laws and £100 million (roughly Rs 1,000 crore) in funding. The government has said it wants to tap into the emerging autonomous vehicle market, which it has valued at £42 billion (roughly Rs 3,97,000 crore) and could create 38,000 new jobs, according to estimates.
“We want the UK to be at the forefront of the development and use of this fantastic technology, which is why we are investing millions in vital safety research and putting legislation in place to ensure we get all the benefits this technology promises,” said the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. While some vehicles with self-driving features could be allowed on major roads from next year, Friday’s announcement also set the framework for a much wider rollout, including public transport vehicles and vans.
The funding package included £35 million (roughly 300 million rupees) for safety research, which would feed into new legislation due to be introduced by 2025. “The legislation would make manufacturers responsible for the actions of a self-driving vehicle, meaning that a human driver would not be liable for driving-related incidents when the vehicle is in control,” the government said in a statement.
In April this year, Britain also said it would allow motorists to watch TV in self-driving cars. Motorists can sit and watch TV once self-driving cars are approved on British roads but will be banned from using hand-held mobile phones, government plans announced on Wednesday. The Department for Transport (DfT) has set out changes to the Roads Act to “help ensure the safe use of the first wave of self-driving vehicles”.
A DfT spokesman confirmed that in autonomous mode, users will not be liable for accidents and will pass the baton to insurance companies. Elon Musk reveals plans for Tesla Robotaxi during earnings call However, “motorists must be prepared to resume control in time if prompted – for example when approaching a motorway exit”, the DfT statement said. The government hopes to have a full regulatory framework in place by 2025.
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