London - UK Motorists will not need a driving licence to use driverless cars, it emerged yesterday – as ministers prepared to allow the first trials on British roads.
Women are expected to benefit the most because almost a third do not have a licence, compared with just one in seven men.
Others likely to gain include the disabled, the elderly and even children, who could be put in a so-called robocar at home and sent to school without an adult at the wheel.
Transport minister Claire Perry said: “I have a vision of the school-run driverless car where you wave your children off to school and they come back at 3.30.”
Ministers are to announce the trials on Wednesday following a six-month study into the practical, safety and legal issues.
It concluded there was “no barrier to testing driverless technology on UK roads.”
For many, the idea of self-driving cars is like something from a sci-fi movie.
But much of the technology is already fitted to modern cars, which use sensors and computers to park themselves, keep in lane, brake automatically, avoid collisions and for ‘intelligent cruise control’, which allows a car to vary its speed in line with the flow of traffic.
BIG BENEFIT TO WOMEN
The big leap forward is putting these elements together in a vehicle that can safely navigate and ‘think’ for itself by using a combination of lasers and scanners to read the road, other vehicles, pedestrians and its surroundings. Last week, a Whitehall insider noted: “Driverless technology could free up 31 percent of women who don’t drive.
“Most people take driving for granted and could not imagine life without a car.
“However many people do not have a driving licence or access to a vehicle.
“Disabled people may be unable to drive, elderly people may be judged unfit, others may not want to drive or be concerned about their ability to do so.”
The report puts the Government on course to fulfil its ambition to make Britain the world centre for self-driving vehicles – and draw in lucrative foreign research investment, saying: “The UK is well placed to lead the development of driverless technology.”
Until now, the technology has been used on private land or specialist test tracks. But Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin andBusiness Secretary Vince Cable will showcase three trials – at Greenwich, Milton Keynes and Coventry, and Bristol – in a £19 million push to outdo a rival Google scheme in the US.
Ministers will highlight the potential safety benefits, noting that 90 percent of collisions involve human error.
In the early stages of the trials there are likely to be safeguards such as a qualified driver on board to override the self-drive system in case of a safety issue. Some vehicles will have a steering wheel or brake pedals. But as the research develops they will be removedand the vehicles will be fully autonomous.
Mr McLoughlin said: “Driverless cars have the potential to transform lives. This is an important step towards ensuring Britain is at the forefront of this exciting development.”
Daily Mail