Automated lane keeping systems look set to be introduced to new cars sold in the UK from 2021. The Department for Transport (DfT) has opened up a consultation to allow those in the industry to submit evidence on the safety of the new technology.
ALKS software has been developed to automatically take control of a vehicle at slower speeds to ensure it stays in the correct lane.
The DfT report will assess whether the technology should make the cars legally defined as an “automated vehicle.
This clarity is vital to determine whether drivers are responsible for accidents when their vehicle is engaged in the self-driving mode.
The DfT call for evidence will also look at whether the technology will be safe to use at speeds of up to 70mph.
But experts at Eggplant have warned that the motoring industry must develop a “testing solution” to address even more new challenges when they arise.
They said these challenges also include testing cars ability to communicate with other vehicles and infrastructure.
Mr Edwards added: “Only with testing technology, something which is not often talked about, can we pave the road for continued innovation in the automotive sector and realise the promise of a connected future.
“To truly test the entire autonomous vehicle experience, forward-thinking companies are exploring ways to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Not just to the self-driving capability but to the technology testing the in-vehicle systems.”
Some industry experts have already praised the new technology which many believe could boost road safety.
AA President Edmund King predicts the new tool could make roads “even safer in the future”
SMMT chairman Mike Hawes also believes the new technology could help save lives and reduce injuries.
He said: “Automated technologies for vehicles, of which automated lane keeping is the latest, will be life-changing, making our journeys safer and smoother than ever before and helping prevent some 47,000 serious accidents and save 3,900 lives over the next decade.”