The British government, according to the BBC, is aiming for the U.K. to become a world leader in driverless technology and first to permit fully computer controlled vehicles on public highways. While the the U,S, was the first country to introduce legislation to permit testing of automated vehicles, the U.K. is in a race to be the first country to see the reality of these types of cars on public roads. In the U.S., the pioneers are Google, where the tech giant is developing software called Google Chauffeur in order to power a new range of vehicles.
Before driverless cars become a technological reality, there are various legal issues to resolve along with some changes to infrastructure. In addition, a new raft of procedures will be needed to for vehicle maintenance checks, in order to ensure that the cards are safe. This would require a new Highway Code (the codification of motoring law in the U.K.) and annual safety check procedures.
The main safety concerns are: what would happen if a autonomous car hit another vehicle?; as well as what are the risks to pedestrians?
The process will begin with a new code of practice. This will permit interested companies to test the various technologies that could make autonomous cars a reality. Test centers have been set up in two locations, the town of Milton Keynes and the city of Coventry. If the tests are successful then a more detailed review of legislation, political changes following the next general election notwithstanding, would occur in 2017.
To support these projects and to go towards the development costs of the prototype pod-like vehicles, the British government is providing a £19 million ($30 million) investment. The first car to be tried will be the Lutz Pathfinder pod. The Lutz, according to Digital Spy, s a two-seater, electric-powered vehicle that is equipped with 19 sensors, cameras, radar and Lidar (a new name for remote sensing technology.)
The Lutz is shown in the video below:
