ROME – Autonomous driving without keeping your hands on the wheel. This is what the United Kingdom is preparing to recognize at the regulatory level. The Ministry of Transport is, in fact, working on an amendment to the Highway Code which, if approved, will allow cars equipped with the Alks system (Automated Lane Keeping System) to be defined as “autonomous driving”, provided that they receive a specific homologation. and that “there is no evidence to question the vehicle’s ability to drive on its own”. Under plans established by the Department of Transportation, owners of Alks-equipped cars will be legally allowed to let their car drive alone on highways at speeds of up to 60km / h, meaning the technology will be reserved for use on congested stretches of motorway.
This important novelty could become operational by the end of the year. For the UK it represents a way to catch up with other countries such as the United States and Japan. Sources in the British Ministry of Transport – we read on AutoExpress – would have specified that the government is approaching the measure in a “very cautious way”. In this way, the driver will be able to “legally” take his hands off the steering wheel even if, in any case, he must always be ready to regain control of the vehicle. Some cars are already equipped with this system today, but at the moment taking your hands off the wheel is an illegal practice.
According to the ministry, the use of this technology could improve road safety by reducing human error which contributes to more than 85% of accidents. The ministry is studying the question of liability in the event of accidents with Alks: “We (the government) do not expect the driver to be prosecuted”, but in any case other discussions will certainly be open on the matter before driving without hands become legal.
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