The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued an update on when the first fleet of driverless vehicles will likely arrive on UK roads.
Driverless cars are already being used for public rides and testing in several cities across the United States, including Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In these cities, commuters can hail these rides through apps like Waymo, says the Manchester Evening News. Earlier this month, the pioneering Silicon Valley company announced the rollout would be expanded to five new cities: Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando. Operations began in Miami last Tuesday, with the remaining four cities to follow in the coming weeks.
While the new technology has gone from strength to strength across the pond, the UK is still working on legislation and development for driverless cars.Elements of this technology already exist on our roads in the form of features like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance.
These are all classified as Level Two automations, where the car takes control of certain aspects but the driver remains in control at all times.
Level Three comes into effect when the car can actually drive itself, but only in certain environments and for very limited periods. The driver must take back control when requested.
The UK government has set a target for self-driving vehicles to be operational on roads in the UK by 2026, following the enactment of the Automated Vehicles Act in May 2024.
Last month, Waymo revealed that its sights were firmly set on London, announcing: “We intend to offer rides across the pond – with no human behind the wheel – in 2026. We can’t wait to serve Londoners and the city’s millions of visitors next year.”
(Picture: Waymo)
