Engineering news
Advances in motoring technology could outpace government road safety measures, a report from MPs has said.
The rapid increase in technology has meant that transport safety has become "an increasingly complex area", said the report from the House of Commons Transport Committee.
Launching the report today, the committee's chairman Louise Ellman, said: "The public need to be sure that new types of vehicles are safe to travel on our roads.
"The government must do more to prepare for a transition period where manual, semi-autonomous and driverless vehicles will share UK roads.
"Transport ministers must explain how different types of vehicles will be certified and tested, how drivers will be trained and how driving standards will be updated, monitored and enforced."
The report said new automotive technologies could unblock congested highways, deliver a step-change in road safety and provide the basis for rapid industrial growth.
However, the committee added that the Department for Transport (DfT) would need to develop a comprehensive strategy to maximise the benefits of new motoring technology.
The report said: "Motoring is being transformed by new materials, new fuels and information technology. However, the government must act if people and businesses in the UK are to obtain the full benefit of this ongoing automotive revolution.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime commercial opportunity, and UK industry needs the government's help to seize it."
The committee called on the DfT to:
- Clarify how the introduction of self-driving cars will affect the liabilities of drivers, manufacturers and insurers;
- Positively engage in setting European and international standards that will help UK manufacturers develop products suitable for export;
- Ask the Information Commissioner to update guidelines on the collection, access and use of vehicle data;
- Use data on driver behaviour held by the insurance industry and others to inform policy-making and improve road safety.
AA president Edmund King said: "The report rightly points to potential problems of a transition period on the roads. There is a potential nightmare scenario whereby robotic driverless cars are fighting for space with cars with humans behind the wheel and indeed semi-autonomous cars with no-one totally in control.
"We really need a safe vision for the future whereby all vehicles and all road users can coexist in harmony. This vision will entail government, manufacturers, insurers and indeed drivers agreeing the way ahead."
A DfT spokesman added: "Public safety is our first priority as we adapt to advances in motoring technology. We have a comprehensive approach to ensure the UK is at the cutting edge of developments.
"We are working closely with industry to progress driverless car technology, demonstrated by our recent announcement that the UK is uniquely positioned to lead the way in safely testing these vehicles on public roads.
"Our £15 billion road investment strategy includes a major expansion of smart motorway technology to improve capacity, ease congestion and improve road safety," the spokesman added.