MAKE WAY FOR DRIVERLESS CARS
And their introduction could save hundreds of lives a year, the UK’s Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reckons.
The 25 million trials of driverless cars — officially called autonomous vehicles — have also been welcomed by road safety group Brake, which believes they could lead to “significantly reduced casualties on our roads”.
Likely to start towards the end of January, the trials will see driverless cars — albeit with a qualified driver in the driver’s seat — take to roads in Greenwich in south London, Bristol, Milton Keynes and Coventry.
The IET said: “Autonomous vehicles could be on the roads in the next 15 years.”
It added that for every 10,000 errors made by drivers, just one error will be committed by a computer. So the new technology could save hundreds of lives a year.
The Institution went on: “Within 15 years, we predict that the performance of cars could be altered to fit the driver. A learner or teenager who has recently passed their test may have their speed limited automatically. However, a more experienced driver getting in the same car would be able to travel much faster.
“Automated cars could also travel in platoons, which would be linked up to traffic light systems to keep them moving and avoid congestion. There is likely to be growth in car clubs, with few people owning their own vehicles. Taxis are likely to become redundant. Speeding may become a thing of the past as cars are likely to be fitted with speed-limiting devices.
