UK Allocates $118Mln For Research, Production Of Self-Driving Vehicles Until 2025

The United Kingdom has provided 100 million pounds ($118 million) to ensure large-scale production of self-driving cars by 2025, the country's Department for Transport said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2022) The United Kingdom has provided 100 million Pounds ($118 million) to ensure large-scale production of self-driving cars by 2025, the country's Department for Transport said on Friday.

"UK roads could see self-driving vehicles rolled out by 2025 thanks to new government plans - backed by �100 million - which prioritise safety through new laws and create thousands of new jobs in the industry," the ministry said in a statement.

Thirty-four million pounds will be used to check the safety of such cars, in particular, to conduct tests to understand how these cars perform in bad weather conditions and how they interact with pedestrians, other vehicles, and cyclists. Twenty million pounds will be directed to the rapid launch of commercial production and its support, the statement added.

"This enables the UK to take full advantage of the emerging market of self-driving vehicles - which could create up to 38,000 jobs and could be worth an estimated 42 billion," the statement read.

The first self-driving cars, buses, and trucks will operate in the UK as early as next year, the statement said, adding that other vehicles will be available by 2025.

According to the government, the massive use of unmanned vehicles will reduce the number of human-caused traffic accidents.

The UK is currently discussing the standards that self-driving cars must meet to ensure road safety and for the violation of which manufacturers will be held accountable, the statement said.