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Self-driving vehicles could be widely deployed on UK roads by 2025, according to new government plans.
Ministers say the ambition is backed by £100million of funding, including an immediate £34 million 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 has also confirmed £20million to help kick-start commercial self-driving operations, such as grocery delivery services and airport shuttle pods.
The proposed full self-driving roll-out would follow the planned enabling of some self-driving technology on motorways in the next year. Although these vehicles would still need a driver on-board with a driving licence, to handle travel to and from the motorway, the government says that under its plan, this would not be the case for the proposed 2025 vehicles.
According to the government, 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.
It says it will be consulting on a standard for self-driving cars to be as safe as a "competent and careful" human driver, which vehicles would need to meet before being allowed to operate autonomously.
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."
Reacting to the announcement, 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."
Giving his reaction, Jonathan Hewett, chief executive of Thatcham Research, said the organisation welcomed the government's ambition, and said ensuring safe adoption would be pivotal.
He said: "The cars we drive are changing at an unprecedented rate. But the automotive industry is still at the lower end of a steep learning curve. It's vital that we balance the risk with the opportunity, gathering intelligence on the different use cases for the technology and in turn understanding what it means for all road users.
"All the ingredients are present for the UK to become a global leader in this space. However, it is paramount that we make sense of the data these vehicles will provide, to inform risk and ultimately pave the way for safe adoption.
"Any challenges encountered by vehicles with self-driving capability will be heavily scrutinised. Complete clarity around the driver's legal responsibilities, along with how the technology is marketed, how the dealer describes systems when handing over the keys and how the self-driving system itself communicates with the driver, will play its part too.
"As such, collaboration between the government, regulators, carmakers and the insurance industry will be essential to creating a safe system for adoption and the age of humankind interacting with autonomous technology."
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