In some ways it is understandable that some governments are a little apprehensive about self-driving cars. After all humans themselves make errors while driving, should we trust a computer to be behind the wheel? Well for those living in the UK, you might be pleased to learn that according to a report from the BBC, it seems that self-driving cars will be allowed on public roads come January 2015.
According to Business Secretary Vince Cable, “Today’s announcement will see driverless cars take to our streets in less than six months, putting us at the forefront of this transformational technology and opening up new opportunities for our economy and society.” Ministers will also be ordering a review of the UK’s road regulations to help provide appropriate guidelines for self-driving cars.
In the meantime, UK cities have been asked to declare their interest if they wish for their city to play host to self-driving car trials. These cities have until October to declare their interest, after which the tests are expected to run from 18 months to 36 months. However while self-driving cars might eventually be made road legal, we guess more manufacturers need to come on board.
As it stands, Google is one of the companies with a self-driving car of their own, and we have also seen attempts from the Oxford university, Nissan, and Volvo.
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