The Britain government has taken the initiative to capture the UK market which is predicted to have an estimated worth of £900bn in next decade. The driverless cars will become the next hot thing. On trial bases, an electric pod is going to be used on pedestrian areas and closed roads in Milton Keynes and Coventry while the shuttle has been tried out in the London borough of Greenwich.
Legal and insurance issues will be assessed through these trial vehicles which will also help the government to gauge public reaction to driverless cars in Bristol. Vince Cable, Business Secretary delightfully expressed his thoughts by saying that the UK is at the cutting edge of automotive technology and it is very important for them to keep at the forefront of innovation so that the jobs, growth and society, all stay prosperous. He further added that launching this competition to research and develop driverless cars is the result of his very motive.
The whole funding going to this project is the investment we are making to reap the fruits of an expected £900bn industry by the year 2025 and to ensure that we stay world leaders in the automotive industry. Testing these driverless vehicles on public roads holds no legal barriers, said the government.
From the Transport Research Lab, Dr Nick Reed said that the shuttle they are using for the trial on public roads in Greenwich, uses sensors in an attempt to avoid all hazards thus pose no threat at all. He further added that safety is the paramount in their research and thanks to the sensors all-around it, if it detects any moving object around it, it’ll slow down to let them pass or if they come right in front of the vehicle, it’ll gently safe stop.
The driverless cars could save driving time, reduce congestion, improve safety and reduce carbon emissions but in order to get their rigorous testing for years is required for it to become a reality.
