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Britain trying out driverless vehicles

Four prototypes hit streets, offering look into a possible future

The Columbian
Published: February 11, 2015, 4:00pm
2 Photos
Photos by MATT DUNHAM/Associated Press
Dignitaries try out a prototype driverless car called a Meridian shuttle Wednesday in London.
Photos by MATT DUNHAM/Associated Press Dignitaries try out a prototype driverless car called a Meridian shuttle Wednesday in London. Photo Gallery

LONDON — Driverless cars are hitting Britain’s public roads for the first time, giving a glimpse of future travel that’s billed as safer and more efficient.

Britain unveiled four prototype self-drive cars Wednesday, launching the country’s first public trials ahead of a series of planned rule reviews to accommodate the new technology.

Officials showed off four types of autonomous vehicles under trial, including a shuttle that looks like a larger golf cart and a compact two-seater “pod.” Journalists took short rides on the shuttle, which zipped around a public square outside central London’s O2 Arena as curious pedestrians looked on.

The project was “still in the early days,” Transport Minister Claire Perry said, but she added the new technology has the potential to make roads safer and attract global investment.

Britain has ambitions to lead development in driverless cars, which are also being tested in U.S. cities by companies including Google. Auto companies from Mercedes-Benz to Nissan are also developing self-drive vehicles, though most are not ready to go on public roads and highways commercially.

Regulation and legal changes are a major hurdle. Officials say fully driverless cars are unlikely to be used on British roads until 2030.

Britain’s government, which is spending $29 million on four trial centers around the country, says it will amend and review domestic road regulations by 2017. One focus will be on establishing liability when a self-drive car crashes.

The next immediate step is for officials to publish guidelines for companies to test the cars in “real-life scenarios” on roads and highways by this summer.

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