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Driving tests should be adapted for use of selfdriving cars MPs warn



Driving tests will have to be adapted to make sure motorists know how to take control of a self-driving car, a report by MPs has warned.

The report, by the Commons Transport committee, urged the Government to introduce new laws putting into place a robust framework for self-driving vehicles.

It said the driving test will soon need to be changed to take into account that drivers 'acquire and maintain the necessary skills for taking control of a vehicle in all circumstances'.

But it cautioned that self-driving cars may mean worse road safety from human drivers who get less practice, saying: 'Greater automation will reduce time spent driving.

'Over time drivers may become less practised and therefore less skilled.

The report, by the Commons Transport committee, urged the Government to introduce new laws putting into place a robust framework for self-driving vehicles (Stock Photo)

'Conversely, the demands on drivers will grow as they will be called upon to retake control of vehicles in challenging circumstances with little notice.

'The Government should set out a strategy for the future of human driving in a world of self-driving vehicles.'

The report adds: 'The introduction of self-driving vehicles to the UK's roads will affect all road users.

'We believe that this should not impose new responsibilities on other road users and pedestrians, limit their access to, or use of, public infrastructure or, crucially, make them less safe'.

Urging the drafting new laws to cover areas such as vehicle approval, liability for accidents and cybersecurity, the MPs warned: 'Failing to do so will do significant and lasting damage both to the UK's self-driving vehicle industry and to this country's reputation as a trailblazer.'

The Government will set out proposed legislation for the next parliamentary session in the King's Speech on November 7.

In April, the UK became the first European country to allow drivers to take their hands off car steering wheels on public roads, after the Department for Transport gave manufacturer Ford permission to activate its BlueCruise system on motorways.

This controls functions such as steering, acceleration, braking and lane positioning.

Fully self-driving cars remain banned on public roads in the UK apart from during Government-approved trials.

The report said the driving test will soon need to be changed to take into account that drivers 'acquire and maintain the necessary skills for taking control of a vehicle in all circumstances' (Stock Photo)

Iain Stewart, who chairs the Transport Committee, said: 'Thanks to the energy and creativity of the self-driving vehicles sector, the UK has a head start in developing a vision for how SDVs (self-driving vehicles) could be introduced. The Government's strategy is one this committee broadly welcomes.

'Self-driving vehicles are a great British success story in the making and we have a competitive advantage over many other countries.

'But all that hard work could be at risk if the Government doesn't follow through and bring forward a transport Bill in the next parliamentary session, before the next general election.

'Widespread take-up of SDVs faces various hurdles, including public confidence in their safety, security and their potential to have knock-on impacts on other road users.

'If the Government is going to meet its ambitions for self-driving vehicle deployment, these knotty issues need to be addressed.

'We believe the Government should take a cautious, gradual approach, with SDV technologies only initially introduced in well-defined contexts, or else we risk unintended consequences.'

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