The British government has given the green light to Self-Driving cars to hit the streets of the country by the end of the year.
The Department of Transportation is allowing the cars to operate on public roads in the UK provided they are equipped at all times with a driver to take control of the vehicle to prevent any dangerous accidents should the cars malfunction.
Oxford University and Nissan are testing the cars to see if they truly can stay in their lane and maintain a set speed and distance from other cars. The car is able to achieve self-driving status through a series of cameras and lasers. In addition radios can potentially help the cars communicate with each other on the roads.
According to CNET, test drives of an adapted, self-driving Nissan Leaf have been carried out on private land but will now head out onto "quiet rural and suburban highways and byways." This could end up being one of the first tests for Google's Self-Driving car in a real world setting. As of right now no one is sure if Google will be among those testing their car in the UK but it would only make sense. They have been testing cars in Nevada, Florida and California with converted Toyota Prius cars for years.
The British government believes a driverless vehicle could mean smaller amounts of traffic as well as improved road safety. If the number of drivers on the road goes down, the degree of human error in traffic goes down as well. If Google can reach a level of efficiency with the roads in the world and make self-driving cars a viable reality, not only would people be able to be productive on their long commutes, they would also enjoy the safety of a commute with regulated speed, routes and the lack of other X factors that make driving so dangerous.
Tell us what you think, are self-driving cars the way of the future or a completely unsafe gimmick? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.
