UK roads to be decked up to welcome self-driving cars in 2025

As the UK government is gearing up for self-driving cars from next year with a 100 million pound ($118 million) investment, vehicles with self-driving features will become a common sight by 2025.

The government is planning a new legislation which will allow for the safe wider roll-out of self-driving vehicles by 2025. “This enables the UK to take full advantage of the emerging market of self-driving vehicles — which could create up to 38,000 jobs and could be worth an estimated 42 billion pounds,” the UK government said in a statement.

The government’s vision for self-driving vehicles will also include 34 million pounds for research to support safety developments and prepare a more detailed legislation taking into consideration the possible performance of self-driving cars in poor weather conditions. Also how they interact with pedestrians, other vehicles, and cyclists will be looked into.

The government has confirmed 20 million pounds, as part of the overall 100 million pound, to help kick-start commercial self-driving services and enable businesses to grow and create jobs in the UK, following an existing 40 million pound investment.

The government said that self-driving vehicles could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who do not drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error. In future, these could be extended to provide tailored on-demand links from rural towns and villages.