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Self-driving cars UK Discussion

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UK roads could see self-driving vehicles rolled out by 2025 thanks to new government plans – backed by £100 million – which prioritise safety through new laws and create thousands of new jobs in the industry.

Some vehicles, including cars, coaches and lorries, with self-driving features could be operating on motorways in the next year, and today’s (19 August 2022) plans set out new legislation which will allow for the safe wider rollout of self-driving vehicles by 2025. This enables the UK to take full advantage of the emerging market of self-driving vehicles – which could create up to 38,000 jobs and could be worth an estimated £42 billion.

The government’s vision for self-driving vehicles is backed by a total of £100 million, with £34 million confirmed today for research to support safety developments and inform more detailed legislation. This could include researching the performance of self-driving cars in poor weather conditions and how they interact with pedestrians, other vehicles, and cyclists.

The government is also today confirming £20 million, as part of the overall £100 million, to help kick-start commercial self-driving services and enable businesses to grow and create jobs in the UK, following an existing £40 million investment. Successful projects could help see, for example, groceries delivered to customers by self-driving vehicles, or shuttle pods assisting passengers when moving through airports. £6 million will also be used for further market research and to support commercialisation of the technology.

Self-driving vehicles could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error. Further in the future, they could, for example, provide tailored on-demand links from rural towns and villages to existing public transport options nearby. They could also provide more direct and timely services that enable people to better access vital services such as schools and medical appointments.

Vehicles that can drive themselves on motorways could be available to purchase within the next year, which users would need a valid driving licence for, so they can drive on other roads. Other self-driving vehicles, for example used for public transport or delivery, expected on the roads by 2025, would not need anyone onboard with a driving licence because they would be able to drive themselves for the whole journey.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The benefits of self-driving vehicles have the potential to be huge. Not only can they improve people’s access to education and other vital services, but the industry itself can create tens of thousands of job opportunities throughout the country.
Most importantly, they’re expected to make our roads safer by reducing the dangers of driver error in road collisions.
We want the UK to be at the forefront of developing and using this fantastic technology, and that is why we are investing millions in vital research into safety and setting the legislation to ensure we gain the full benefits that this technology promises.
The government is today consulting on a ‘safety ambition’ for self-driving vehicles to be as safe as a competent and careful human driver. This ambition would inform standards that vehicles need to meet to be allowed to ‘self-drive’ on the roads, and organisations, such as manufacturers, could face sanctions if standards are not met.

The new laws for the safe rollout of self-driving vehicles by 2025 will be brought forward when parliamentary time allows.

The legislation will build on existing laws, and state that manufacturers are responsible for the vehicle’s actions when self-driving, meaning a human driver would not be liable for incidents related to driving while the vehicle is in control of driving.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

Self-driving vehicles have the potential to revolutionise people’s lives, particularly by helping those who have mobility issues or rely on public transport to access the jobs, local shops and vital services we all depend on.
This funding will help unlock the incredible potential of this industry, attracting investment, developing the UK’s growing self-driving vehicle supply chain, and supporting high-skill jobs as these new means of transport are rolled out.
AA president, Edmund King, said:

The automotive world is changing rapidly and so the government is right to embrace the positive changes offered by this new technology and back it by funding research and putting forward legislation. Assisted driving systems, for example, autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, are already helping millions of drivers stay safe on the roads.
It is still quite a big leap from assisted driving, where the driver is still in control, to self-driving, where the car takes control. It is important that the government does study how these vehicles would interact with other road users on different roads and changing weather conditions. However the ultimate prize, in terms of saving thousands of lives and improving the mobility of the elderly and the less mobile, is well worth pursuing.
Today also sees the publication of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s (CDEI) Responsible Innovation in Self-Driving Vehicles report, which sets out proposals for a trustworthy approach to the regulation and governance of self-driving vehicles.
 
An announcement by a transport secretary that’ll be out of the job in a few weeks time. Carry on now, nothing to see here
Grant Shapps has been in position as Secretary of State for transport for 3 years. Not all political positions change rapidly.

As for self driving, it depends what they mean. Level 3 motorway driving is available from Mercedes and legal in Germany, I can see this developing further and if you could get lorry’s to trundle along motorways safely then that will be quite an aid and safety benefit. But legislatively that could open up a whole range of changes, motorway time on L3 or L4 could become part of a drivers rest time for instance but that requires changes to tacho rules and recording.

Anything approaching general self driving on all roads like robotaxi, cant see that any time soon.
 
The motorway part sounds very much like the amendment to UN Regulation No. 157 that came out in June and upped the speed limit from 60 to 130 km/h (about 80 mp/h). From my understanding this goes into force next January, so just following UN regulations like they currently do.
 
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The motorway part sounds very much like the amendment to UN Regulation No. 157 that came out in June and upped the speed limit from 60 to 130 km/h (about 80 mp/h). From my understanding this goes into force next January, so just following UN regulations like they currently do.
When or before it goes to force in UK law, Tesla would have to apply for manufacturer approval first. Then we would get to see if their 'Vision Only' AP/EAP/FSD would satisfy L3 requirements...
 
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So self driving vehicles will create 38,000 new jobs ? The only case for doing it for haulage, taxis etc is if it reduces jobs. Clearly a typical nonsense figure.

"£34 million confirmed today for research to support safety developments and inform more detailed legislation." - So I assume Capita etc. will take £34M to copy/paste UN/ECE into a UK bill ? Great value.
 
Didn't this all start last year? Something about cars which had been approved could drive at <30mph on motorways. Seemed a bit pointless even if Tesla were approved.
That's ALKS, typically used when in slow-moving traffic. Some manufacturers call it traffic jam assist. Indeed it"s been around for a couple years.

But now UNECE reg are allowing level 3, effectively permitting full autonomous driving on motorways (i.e at the speed limit) with *very* limited driver supervision
 
Might explain his bonkers idea of having number plates on bicycles earlier in the week
Sounded like the most sensible thing for years. Having been nearly mowed down twice and felt harassed on Bournemouth promenade by bikes using it at 4pm when bikes are prohibited between 10:00-18:00. The cyclist love to film cars and report them, it would have been great to have been able to do the same to cyclists breaking the restrictions.

Although I guess the next step would be pedestrians would need number plates as well but that would be easy just use the chips we'll all have inserted soon.
 
Indeed. Cyclists go to great pains to pass that message that they are road users too. To me that seems accurate and imminently sensible.
They do, however, lack the accountability of other road users and therefore there are rarely consequences for crossing red lights, cycling on pavements, sometimes at ridiculous speeds, etc.
Vulnerable they are, no doubt about it, but accountable they should also be (IMHO).
 
Didn't this all start last year? Something about cars which had been approved could drive at <30mph on motorways. Seemed a bit pointless even if Tesla were approved.
Yes with the Merc system which is level 3

ALKS is a level 2 system as far as I’m aware.

The key difference is accountability and not what the car is physically doing, 2 cars can be doing the same thing in terms of driving down a motorway, but 1 is at level 2 and the other is level 3, the difference linked to the way the system interacts with the driver and which is accountable.
 
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Indeed. Cyclists go to great pains to pass that message that they are road users too. To me that seems accurate and imminently sensible.
They do, however, lack the accountability of other road users and therefore there are rarely consequences for crossing red lights, cycling on pavements, sometimes at ridiculous speeds, etc.
Vulnerable they are, no doubt about it, but accountable they should also be (IMHO).

I'll happily insure and put a number plate on my pedal bike IF every motorist starts obeying the LAW, so 30mph = 30mph, 20mph = 20mph, go over the speed limit and you instantly BANNED from driving. Can we agree on that been fair?
 
Having been nearly mowed down twice and felt harassed on Bournemouth promenade by bikes using it at 4pm when bikes are prohibited between 10:00-18:00.

You clearly haven't been on a pedal bike on UK roads for a while, try having cars doing 40mph+ in 30mph overtaking, than braking at the last minute doing a left turn in front of you.
 
Aye mate, because you’ve never done 21 in a 20 have you? 🙄

As I've said, fair is fair, if we want to licence bikes properly, lets actually ENFORCE THE LAW. Which last time I checked was very clear, but every single motorist seems to think they don't need to obey the LAW.....why is that? Because the consequences are non existent.

So lets do it properly, break the LAW and get proper punishment, whats wrong with that?
 
I'll happily insure and put a number plate on my pedal bike IF every motorist starts obeying the LAW, so 30mph = 30mph, 20mph = 20mph, go over the speed limit and you instantly BANNED from driving. Can we agree on that been fair?
Stupid post of the day award goes to..... GANGZOOM

We have a mechanism of law enforcement for cars thats linked to the registration of the car and then an legal obligation on the registered keeper to reveal who was driving the car when an offence is committed. Then a system combining education, points, fines and ultimately bans and imprisonment exists.

You seem to suggest for cyclists to even allow themselves to be identified you require any transgression by a motorist to be instantly banned? Nothing like a proportionate response to a sensible suggestion by others.