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Drivers may be able to watch TV while using self-driving vehicles

Drivers may be able to watch TV while using self-driving vehicles

The Department for Transport has suggested that self-driving cars could be introduced on UK roads with automated lane-keeping technology later this year, and proposed changes to the Highway Code could allow drivers to watch television whilst using the automated technology.

An update to the Highway Code is expected over the summer, and whilst watching television could be allowed, mobile phone usage behind the wheel will remain illegal. 

Additionally, fault for accidents involving self-driving cars will lie with insurance companies rather than individual users. 

The proposed changes relating to self-driving vehicles will serve as an interim measure to support their early introduction, and are intended to be replaced by a full, regulatory framework by 2025.

The Department for Transport said that the ‘assistive’ nature of the technology means that the driver must always be prepared to retain control and, to this end, experts have suggested that self-driving vehicles can stop built-in screens from displaying content not related to driving when the user is required to retake the wheel.

The introduction of self-driving vehicles is hoped to bring about a stream of positive changes. RAC spokesperson Steve Gooding believes they will “promise a future where death and injury on our roads are cut significantly” and Transport Minister Trudy Harrison says the technology will “revolutionise the way we travel, making our future journeys greener, safer and more reliable”.

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