Self-Driving Cars Will Hit UK Roads in 2015

Self-driving cars will be permitted on public roads in the UK starting in January 2015, but it could be a while before commuters can actually use them.

Cities in the UK can place bids to become test-driving areas for driverless vehicles, and out of the applicant pool, three cities will be chosen, said Vince Cable, the business secretary.

Several engineering groups, including one from the University of Oxford, have been experimenting with self-driving technology on private roads. The upcoming government-funded tests will mark the first time self-driving cars will be permitted on public roads, and test periods will last between 18 and 36 months.

"Driverless cars have huge potential to transform the UK’s transport network — they could improve safety, reduce congestion and lower emissions, particularly CO2," transport minister Claire Perry said in a statement. "We are determined to ensure driverless cars can fulfill this potential, which is why we are actively reviewing regulatory obstacles to create the right framework for trialling these vehicles on British roads."

Last year, it was announced that the city of Milton Keynes, 53 miles north of London, would receive 100 driverless cars for test driving, but that won't happen until 2017.

In the United States, California, Nevada and Florida are all approved testing sites for self-driving cars, as well as areas in Japan and Sweden. Perhaps most notably, Google's self-driving cars have been seen on the streets of Mountain View, California, home of Google's headquarters. Toyota has also jumped aboard with its own spin on the self-driving car.

British cities that are interested in becoming test areas have until Oct. 1, 2014, to declare a bid. The three selected cities will receive a £10 million stipend (about $17 million) to be divided equally among them; it's not yet public knowledge which companies will produce the self-driving cars.

The project is being jointly funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport.

Posted by : Gizmeon