Transport secretary outlines 2026 ambition for driverless cars

Driverless cars could arrive on some UK roads by the end of 2026, the transport secretary has said.

Speaking to the BBC, Mark Harper also said he expected to see the owners of those vehicles being able to travel without having to watch where they’re going.

In November, the government announced plans for new legislation to create a rigorous safety framework for self-driving vehicles, to enable their deployment.

At the time, it said self-driving vehicles will make transport safer, more convenient and more accessible, improving the lives of millions of people.

However, critics fear that if the tech is not ready, it could cause serious collisions.

Mr Harper told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he has personally seen the technology being used in California adding he wants people to have “confidence” in a proper safety regime.

He said: “The legislation is going through parliament at the moment, so hopefully we’ll get that through parliament by the end of 2024.

“Probably by as early as 2026 people will start seeing some elements of these cars that have full self-driving capabilities being rolled out.”

Could there be driverless cars not just on motorways but on other roads too by the end of 2026?

Transport Secretary Mark Harper says there could, as he’s questioned by @JustinOnWeb as part of @MrJamesMay‘s #R4Today guest edit.

— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) December 27, 2023

 

Mr Harper noted the technology will be rolled out “gradually” and cited the “real potential” to improve safety.

He added: “It has a huge number of potential uses, the obvious one is 88% or so of road traffic collisions we see today are caused by driver error of some description.

“There is a real potential for this sort of technology to actually improve safety on the roads, not just for drivers, not just for passengers, but for other vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists – to really improve road safety, which is a real win for everybody.”

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