DfT issues call for evidence for the development of automated vehicles regulatory framework
The Department of Transport is seeking views on several sections of the Automated Vehicles Act to support development of the regulatory framework. The framework will include rules, guidance and principles. We are also seeking to strengthen our understanding of accessibility, environmental and cost-benefit considerations. DfT is asking for views on the following aspects of the automated vehicles […]
Connected and Automated Vehicles debated in Parliament
CAVs were the subject of an animated debate in the House of Commons earlier this week, with particular emphasis on regulation, safety and public trust. Sarah Coombes, Labour MP for West Bromwich, extolled autonomous vehicles’ safety records both in the UK and the US. “Turning first to safety, in the UK, 30,000 people are killed […]
Coventry University study into how pedestrians react to automated vehicles could help make future roads safer
As self-driving cars edge closer to becoming a reality on UK roads, researchers at Coventry University say understanding how pedestrians interact with automated vehicles (AVs) is critical to preventing accidents and saving lives. With the UK government projecting that AVs could be on the roads as early as 2026 and up to 40% of new […]
Waymo, road safety and liability: Evolving legal standards for CAVs
With the news that Waymo will be bringing its autonomous ride-hailing services to London next year still fresh in minds, the legal liability questions this development will create have started being asked already. Lawyer Andrew Sanderson, a partner at Kingsley Napley LLP, says that with autonomous and connected vehicles expected on British roads by 2026, […]
Overloaded, underloaded or in control: How many automated vehicles can one person supervise?
It is possible for one person to safely monitor up to five self-driving vehicles at once, according to new research led by Coventry University. As self-driving vehicle trials expand across the UK, having trained people to intervene remotely if something goes wrong is essential for both safety and reliability. This kind of remote oversight is likely to […]
New AI system could change how autonomous vehicles navigate without GPS
An AI system capable of pinpointing a device’s location in dense urban areas without relying on GPS has been developed by researchers at the University of Surrey. Narrowing down localisation errors from 734 metres to within 22 metres, the innovation could be a significant step forward for technologies such as self-driving cars and aid delivery […]
UK transport and tech leaders urge government to set crucial deadline for AV technology
A coalition of the UK’s leading transport solution providers and data consumers has today sent an open letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Future of Roads), Lilian Greenwood MP, urging the government to set a firm deadline for the nationwide implementation of Digital Traffic Regulation Orders (DTROs). The group warns that the […]
Waabi CEO sees success in simulation and wants AV industry to disclose safety data
At Uber Freight’s recent Carrier Summit, Waabi CEO Raquel Urtasun laid out the autonomous trucking technology’s path toward deploying fully driverless trucks by the end of 2025. Waabi is approaching this task by building for scale, safety and efficiency, she said. That marks a departure from expensive, slow-moving strategies that have dominated the autonomous vehicle […]
WMG expert says AV sector “still learning”
Reflecting on the UK Government’s plans for fully self-driving vehicles by the end of 2027, Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Safe Autonomy at WMG, The University of Warwick, has commented: ‘‘The government’s new proposed date of rolling out self-driving vehicles on UK roads is the correct approach to ensure the safety of the technology and […]
Trump set to streamline regulations to promote AV development
The Trump Administration is streamlining some regulations to support the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs), US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced on Thursday. “This Administration understands that we’re in a race with China to out-innovate, and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” Duffy said in a Thursday press release. “As part of DOT’s [Department of Transportation] innovation agenda, our […]