Government study on driverless cars and road safety

19 February 2024

The government has asked the National Infrastructure Commission to provide recommendations to government on the infrastructure policy interventions needed to ensure connected and self-driving technologies can support sustainable economic growth across all regions of the UK, improve competitiveness and quality of life, and support climate resilience and the transition to net zero carbon emissions.

The National Infrastructure Commission will lead research into connected and autonomous mobility, exploring how emerging technologies could enhance transport accessibility while easing pressure on road networks.

Across transport, technology is revolutionising how people and goods move around the country. Automation and connectivity are central to this and present significant opportunities for delivering improvements to road safety, reducing congestion, improving reliability and accessibility of transport services, and increasing productivity. The way we plan, operate and maintain our infrastructure is crucial to realising these benefits. Uncertainty is inherent in any emerging technology. However, uncertainty should not be a reason to do nothing, as to do so may result in missed opportunities to realise strategic objectives. Moreover, many of the actions taken to support self-driving vehicles will have benefits for many existing vehicles, which may further support the case for action.

The focus of the study should be to consider the incremental steps and interventions that may be required on the road network to pursue a pathway towards more wide-spread adoption and the desired benefits. This would form the basis of an adaptive strategy, exploring what additional policy and infrastructure requirements may be needed beyond the initial regulatory, safety and legislative framework already being developed by government to achieve its 2025 vision for connected and automated mobility (CAM).