UK close to allowing fully-autonomous cars on motorways
The United Kingdom explores how autonomous technology can be used safely on public roads.
The UK’s Department for Transport along with the Center for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles are calling for research and evidence that self-driving vehicles can be driven safely on the road network.
They have announced new consultations will focus on bringing autonomous vehicles to UK roads by 2021 "shaping how innovative new systems could be used in future on GB roads,"
One of the main areas of concern for the consultation process will be Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS). This ADAS technology will allow the vehicle's onboard systems to take full control of the vehicle at low speeds while keeping it in the right lane on motorways.
While autonomous technologies can take away the tedious and sometimes boring task of driving, there is still the important work of regulators to make sure autonomous vehicles are safe on the roads and that any risks of this technology is reduced.
Certain technologies such as camera feeds during parking assist and gps mapping are increasingly becoming commonplace, there is still hesitancy when it comes to fully autonomous driving.
Autonomy plans to make road travel a lot safer and the idea that you can travel long stretches of motorway hands-free is very appealing to many drivers. The main concern though, of course, is safety.
The UK Government wants to ascertain how rules relating to Automated Lane Keeping SystemS (ALKS) can be established within the current legal framework, especially focusing on who would be liable for accidents or crashes in autonomous cars. The main question being if ALKS-enabled cars would be defined as "autonomous" under the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018.
Vehicles defined under this legislation need to be able to drive independently and without any monitoring. At the moment, though, ALKS is described as only a driver assist feature, so it may be subject to much more stringent regulations and controls. The uk Department for Transport said:
"The government is seeking views from industry on the role of the driver and proposed rules on the use of this system to pave the way towards introducing it safely in Great Britain, within the current legal framework,"
"The call for evidence will ask whether vehicles using this technology should be legally defined as an automated vehicle, which would mean the technology provider would be responsible for the safety of the vehicle when the system is engaged, rather than the driver."
The government consultation will last until October 27 and later on in the year, there will be a separate public consultation when they will release the results of the ALKS call to evidence and any proposed changes to the Highway Code with regard to hands-free autonomous driving. Transport Minister Rachel Maclean went on to say:
"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,"
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