Oxford University researchers have already been working with Nissan to develop the technology that will be involved in the testing. Image: RobotCar UK
Oxford University researchers have already been working with Nissan to develop the technology that will be involved in the testing. Image: RobotCar UK
The Government has revealed that driverless cars will be tested on UK public roads for the first time, as part of a £28 billion road investment strategy – living up to recent predictions about the future of driving.
Oxford University researchers have already been working with Nissan to develop the technology that will be involved in the testing. Trials on private roads using a Nissan Leaf prototype have been underway for some time, but this will be the first time the cars have been driven on public roads.
Researchers will initially test the cars on quiet rural roads. Although the cars can drive themselves, a back up driver will be present as a safety precaution.
The Nissan Leaf is currently capable of running on a predetermined familiar route; however, the driver will still be able to control the vehicle by tapping the brakes.
America has already seen extensive testing of driverless cars on their roads – Google’s driverless prototypes have covered more than 300,000 miles on public roads.
The Transport Secretary, Patrick Mcloughlin, told the Telegraph, “Our major roads are vital to the prosperity of our nation, connecting people to jobs and businesses to markets. They carry a third of all traffic and two thirds of all freight traffic but in recent decades we have failed to invest properly in them.”
“That underinvestment has seen us fall behind many of our economic competitors. Since 1990, France has built more motorway miles than exist on our entire network, while Canada, Japan and Australia all spend four times more on their roads than we do.”
As well as investing in driverless vehicles, the Government has also pledged to pump a £500 million investment into electric vehicles, indicating that we could be seeing many more ‘green’ cars on UK roads in the future, despite predictions of the beginning of the end of electric vehicles.
