Motorists with a self-driving car could be legally allowed to use their mobile phones at the wheel again, according to new reports.
Autonomous vehicles are currently only used in the UK in single-lane traffic and must be be below 37mph. This function is mainly used when drivers are in a motorway traffic jam as they have to make sure they can regain control of the vehicle within 10 seconds.
Activities behind the wheel like reading a magazine, playing a game or even watching videos on your phone could be legalised following new research commissioned by the Government.
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The study showed that motorists were slower to react when playing on a phone than they were when drinking or reading a magazine, however they still managed to do so within the 10 second timeframe, according to the Mirror.
Currently motorists caught using their phone while driving can be punished with a £200 fine and six penalty points. It is still illegal to use a phone if the car’s self-driving technology is in use.
But it is now legal to let technology drive your car if your vehicle has automated lane keeping system technology and in a single-lane travelling at less than 37mph, for example a motorway traffic jam. The car itself is responsible for driving and the motorist is legally not required to monitor the road under these circumstances.
And the Telegraph says the Highway Code states users are allowed to view content through a car’s in-built entertainment system and turn their attention away from the road – becoming a “user-in-charge” and not the driver – when automated lane keeping system technology is used on a single-lane travelling at less than 37mph.
Drivers in these cases, though, cannot do anything illegal, such as reading or using a phone. This could change, however, following the research conducted by Loughborough University and University College London for the Government.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said it wanted to “fully understand how drivers interact with self-driving cars” but stresses road safety remains its “absolute priority”.
The research saw almost 100 people placed in simulators engage in a range of tasks behind the wheel. Scientists recorded how long it took them to regain control of the car once instructed and how effectively they did this.
Officials have yet to decide which activities will and will not be legalised behind the wheel of self-driving cars and have commissioned a second study to model how safely people can become a driver after doing non-driving behaviours.#
A Department for Transport spokesman told the Telegraph: “Road safety is our absolute priority, and that’s why we commissioned this two-part study to fully understand how drivers interact with self-driving cars.
“Self-driving vehicles could play an important role in our Plan for Change, creating jobs and supporting the industries of the future, but any use of automated vehicles must not compromise road safety. We’ll set out further detail on the regulation and implementation of self-driving vehicles in due course.”
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