British Highways Ready To Welcoming Autonomous Cars Starting In 2025

Illustration of traffic in London, England. (Wikimedia Commons/Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz)

JAKARTA - Britain announced plans to introduce self-driving or autonomous cars to the country's streets announced last Friday.

Autonomous cars can fully be on UK roads by 2025, while some vehicles that have self-driving features can be allowed for use as early as next year.

Under the UK Government's £100 million plan, the novice industry could be a 42 billion-dollar sector and employ 38,000 people.

The new law, including £34m for safety development, will allow vehicle launches widely by 2025.

Furthermore, £20 million will be used to help launch commercial self-driving services, such as shipping groceries and shuttle pods for passengers.

"The benefits of self-driving vehicles are potentially high," said Transport Minister Grant Shapps, launching The National News Aug. 19.

"They can not only increase public access to education and other vital services, but the industry itself can create tens of thousands of job opportunities across the country.

"Most importantly, they are expected to make our way safer by reducing the dangers of driver errors in road collisions."

"We want Britain to be at the forefront of developing and using this fantastic technology, and that is why we are investing millions of dollars in critical research into safety, and setting laws to ensure we get the full benefits promised by this technology."

The government says self-driving vehicles for use on highways can be sold in the next year, but this still requires a valid driver's license so that drivers can use vehicles on other roads.

Other self-driving vehicles, such as those used for public transport or delivery, which the government wants on the road by 2025, can be used without a driver's license, because the vehicle is fully autonomous.

"It's still a huge leap from driving with help, where the driver is still in control, into self-driving, where the car takes control," said the President of the Automotive Association.

"It is important for the government to study how these vehicles will interact, with users of other roads on different roads and changing weather conditions."

"But the grand prize, in terms of saving thousands of lives and increasing the mobility of parents and those who are less moving, deserves to be pursued," he said.

Furthermore, in the future, self-driving cars can offer travel as requested, helping to coordinate tasks such as medical or school promises.