RAC comments on today’s launch of the UK driverless cars trials

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “Today’s announcement is an important first step along the road to us seeing driverless cars become common place in the UK. But there is a significant way to go and the prospect of driverless vehicles entering service before the end of this decade looks ambitious.

“Motorists will need a lot of reassurance that the technology can be both reliable and safe enough to mean they are comfortable ceding control of a vehicle. This is before we have even started to consider important things like the impact on pedestrians and cyclists, or the implications on the insurance market.

“The Government would do well to produce a green paper or substantial weight of research that explains in detail the benefits to the public of the new technology, and a framework for its phased introduction beyond merely these trials. That way motorists could get a much clearer sense of what a driverless future could look like.”

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The RAC Media Centre provides journalists and news outlets with the latest motoring-related news, comment, data and research.

The RAC is an iconic British driving services brand and has been championing drivers since 1897. Today it is one of the UK’s most trusted names, providing complete peace of mind ® to over 15 million drivers across breakdown cover, insurance, and mobile servicing and repairs.

Its nationwide patrol force attends more than two million breakdowns every year, while its position as the UK’s leading independent insurance broker helps motorists find the right cover with confidence. The RAC has also reshaped the service, maintenance and repair market with its Mobile Mechanics, who carry out servicing and repairs at drivers’ homes or workplaces.

Committed to innovation, the RAC is fully electric ready with mobile EV charging technology for stranded drivers, and a suite of digital and data‑led solutions that make motoring easier and more affordable for consumers and fleets. These services come together in myRAC – the all‑in‑one app for vehicle maintenance, cheaper fuel finding and breakdown assistance.

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