UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper sees the possibility of having driverless cars on British roads within three years. Legislation around the technology must be finalised by the end of next year. Self-driving cars are not yet legal in the country.
The UK is still drafting legislation that will regulate, among other things, legal liability for accidents involving cars not driven by humans.
Carmakers should be held legally responsible for accidents involving driverless cars, the UK parliament says, as the rules should ensure driverless vehicles become safer.
Harper said self-driving technology has the potential to improve road safety: “Everything I see about automated vehicles and self-driving technology is about keeping people safe.”
Robot taxi
Self-driving cars are already being used legally in the United States. For example, robot taxis are driving around several major cities, including San Francisco.
Something went wrong in October: a robot taxi hit a pedestrian in the city. The accident was caused by a self-driving car from General Motors’ Cruise special purpose vehicle.
After the crash, the company removed hundreds of robot taxis from the road. The safety of the vehicles is still being investigated.
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