The government has said that driverless vehicles are ‘unlikely’ to be on UK roads until 2027, after previous hope that they’d be road legal by 2026.
While private companies, mainly in the transportation, taxi and fleet sectors, are keen to get the ball rolling with autonomous vehicles, the government is worried about the infrastructure and legislature needed around it.
In fact, plans were in place for legislation and funding to accelerate the arrival of ‘self-driving’ vehicles on the road by 2025 or 2026, but concerns around their interaction with other road vehicles, road users and pedestrians has made the government put a delay on those plans.
The plan is to conduct further research and align the new laws that are created with it to ensure that all road users are safe when driverless vehicles enter the road.
How Soon Could We See Self- Driving Vehicles On The Road?
Testing phases for driverless vehicles have been ongoing for the last few years, with cars, coaches, lorries, buses and other vehicles in operation in testing phases on the road.
And the government is aware that the self-driving market, both private and fleet, could be worth more than £50 billion to the economy, creating thousands of jobs.
Because of that, there is pressure to make sure that the ‘phasing in’ of driverless vehicles is seamless.
Petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles are being phased out and electric cars are becoming the leading mode of fuel for vehicles, which presents an interesting opportunity for manufacturers to innovate further.
The reality with self-driving vehicles is that people’s tolerance of incidents is likely to be lower, according to research.
Trust in driverless technology must be developed through testing phases and a gradual phasing in so that public perception is positive, which will help the market grow.
The reality is that ‘driverless’ vehicles will still require a qualified driver to be sat at the wheel and responsible for the vehicle, even when the vehicle is in autonomous mode.
Will Fleets Use Driverless Vehicles?
For fleets, the biggest issue around driverless and autonomous technology is safety, so assurances from manufacturers and a track record of performance is crucial.
The introduction of autonomous technology in a wider sense than currently exists would bring about a significant change to the way fleets operate.
But in a lot of ways, it would make the role of experienced and qualified drivers even more important. Because the monitoring of the technology will be pivotal and recognising if there are any potential issues will be essential.
Keeping track of drivers and vehicles is an obligation and a task in itself and one that autonomous vehicles could make even more crucial, but if you want to stay on top of your fleet then Fleet Monitor helps you efficiently monitor ALL of your vehicles – find out more about Fleet Monitor here.
The legal parameters haven’t yet been set for operating self-driving cars – but the government has confirmed some things, including that the use of mobile phones will still be illegal in self-driving mode.
Would you consider adopting ‘self-driving’ vehicles as part of your fleet? And if so, would you do so as soon as they’re available or would you wait until more testing has been done to ensure a smoother transition? Let us know…
