Britain is falling behind EU on driverless cars, say motoring chiefs

Britain is falling behind Europe and the US on driverless cars as slow progress on regulation forces start-ups to deploy their technology abroad, industry chiefs have warned.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), on Thursday urged MPs to swiftly pass new laws legalising fully autonomous vehicles on the road, noting that other western governments had already done so.

Some US states already allow cars with no driver behind the wheel, providing they meet certain technical and software standards. France and Germany are among EU countries to allow similar vehicles on mixed traffic roads.

Autonomous cars are only allowed for testing on British roads and must still have a safety driver on board, ready to take control if necessary.

Without urgent change before the next election, Mr Hawes warned that Britain risked getting “stuck in the slow lane” and noted some homegrown companies were already deploying their software abroad because of the lack of legal clarity.

They include Oxford-based Oxa, which has begun operating driverless passenger shuttle buses in Jacksonville in the US.

The Automated Vehicles Bill was announced in the King’s Speech in November, having first been mooted in 2018. It is currently working its way through Parliament.

The bill would allow autonomous vehicles without safety drivers in the front seat on Britain’s roads from as early as 2026, potentially opening the door to driverless taxis and deliveries of groceries.

However, speaking to car industry executives gathered in London at the SMMT Connected conference, Mr Hawes said a failure to pass the legislation this year as promised could set that ambition back to as late as 2030.

He said: “Already, self-driving tech developed in Britain, by British companies, is being deployed elsewhere in the world.

“It cannot yet happen here, putting our market at a disadvantage.

“Let’s ensure we have the right regulation in place, the right business conditions and a welcoming attitude amongst consumers, so they become the reality in the UK – and not some foreign country.”

Driverless cars have proved controversial in California, which has allowed fully automated vehicles with no safety driver in the front seat. Cruise, backed by General Motors, suspended all testing after multiple accidents and traffic jams involving its cars. Tesla is also under US investigations over its self-driving software.

However, Waymo, another company testing driverless cars in the state, says statistics show that the vehicles are on average safer than human drivers.

Source: finance.yahoo.com