Driverless vehicles edge closer

Just weeks after Mercedes- Benz showcased its self-driving Actros, business secretary Vince Cable has announced two new measures that give the green light for driverless cars to take to UK roads from January 2015. UK cities can now bid for a share of a £10 million competition to host a driverless cars trial. The government is calling on cities to join together with businesses and research organisations to put forward proposals to become a test location. Up to three cities will be selected to host the trials from January 2015 – and each project is expected to last between 18 and 36 months. Ministers have also launched a review to look at current road regulations to establish how the UK can remain at the forefront of driverless car technology and ensure there is an appropriate regime for testing driverless cars in the UK. Two areas of driverless technology will be covered in the review: cars with a qualified driver who can take over control of the car, and fully autonomous vehicles where there is no driver.