BVRLA Welcomes Driverless Car Trials
The BVRLA has welcomed the government’s announcement that it is giving a green light for testing of driverless cars on public roads. Following a review of regulations, the part-government-funded projects in Greenwich, Coventry, Milton Keynes and Bristol can now proceed.
On-road testing will feature the real-world evaluation of passenger cars with increasing levels of autonomy, as well as the development and evaluation of lightweight, fully-autonomous self-driving pods for pedestrianised spaces. They will include public tests of fully automated passenger shuttle transport systems and autonomous valet parking of adapted cars. They will also investigate the legal and insurance aspects of driverless cars and explore how the public reacts.
“The vehicle rental and leasing industry has the youngest fleet on UK roads and prides itself on running the safest, most cost-efficient, low-emission vehicles. This means they will be early adopters of and investors in autonomous vehicle technology,” said BVRLA Chief Executive, Gerry Keaney.
“We are delighted to see that the government is providing the financial and legal support required to get these exciting trials underway.
“The BVRLA and its members are looking forward to working with these and other projects that are set to put the UK at the forefront of the driverless cars revolution.”
The BVRLA is hosting its second Fleet Technology Congress on 1 July at the Williams F1 Centre in Oxfordshire. Over 150 delegates will receive an update on these driverless car projects, as well as hearing about many other aspects of connected vehicles, telematics and fleet management trends.
The association has also published a Fleet Technology White Paper.
