The U.K. transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has an. ambitious plan for driverless lanes in Great Britian. New autonomous lane-keeping technology will be permitted this summer, limited to motorways where traffic from opposite directions is separated by physical barriers, no pedestrians or cyclists are allowed, and the maximum speed is 37 mph (59.5 km/h).
Senior officials at the Department for Transport (DfT) told insurance industry executives that lane-keeping technology could permit drivers to watch a film, send texts or check emails at the wheel sometime after this summer.
The U.K. Government had signaled its intent towards automated driving in a specific lane-keeping system in August 2020 with a “call for evidence” to help shape how innovative new systems could be used in the future. That step asked whether vehicles using this technology should be legally defined as an automated vehicle, which would mean the technology provider would be responsible for the safety of the vehicle when the system is engaged, rather than the driver.
At that time, Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said “Automated technology could make driving safer, smoother and easier for motorists and the UK should be the first country to see these benefits, attracting manufacturers to develop and test new technologies.”
All this Follows the approval of Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) Regulation in June 2020 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) – of which the UK is a member. the technology is likely to be available in cars entering the UK market from spring 2021.
Once activated, the system keeps the vehicle within its lane, controlling its movements without driver input.
New Teslas and a Mercedes S-class are expected to be among the first vehicles to be eligible. They have an ALKS which uses radar and cameras to keep a car on track. It cannot change lanes to avoid trouble, but slows the car to a halt. The on-board display instantly stops showing entertainment in an emergency, but a distracted driver may still struggle to react.
