The UK government is looking to stay ahead of the curve of driverless cars, clearing the way for self-driving vehicles to ensure that it does.
Initial trials of driverless cars have been cleared by the UK's Department for Transportation (DfT), the result of over six months of developing a rough framework for the testing. During the initial phase of testing, driverless vehicles will have to shuttle around humans that are capable of taking assuming control in case things go awry.
Transport Minister Claire Perry says the trials are a "fantastic opportunity" for the UK spearhead the development of autonomous vehicles.
"Driverless cars are the future," Perry says."I want Britain to be at the forefront of this exciting new development, to embrace a technology that could transform our roads and open up a brand new route for global investment. These are still early days but today is an important step."
The ministry will develop an official code of practice for driverless cars in the spring of 2015, after gaining more data when autonomous vehicles hit the roads of southeast London in the first set.
The first set of trials will see the the fully autonomous Meridian shuttle hit the streets of Greenwhich. Other vehicles to join in the trial period include a driverless "pod" and BAE System's Wildcat.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said he got behind the initiative because he wants to ensure that the UK leads the world in a sector that expected to be worth about $1 trillion by 2025.
"It's important for jobs, growth and society that we keep at the forefront of innovation, that's why I launched a competition to research and develop driverless cars."
The DfT is funding driverless car projects in Bristol, Milton Keynes and Coventry to better position it set to capitalize on the nascent sector. By establishing a legal framework for driverless cars, the UK is inviting auto makers onto proving grounds for innovation, according to Cable.
"The government's industrial strategy is backing the automotive sector as it goes from strength to strength," says Cable. "We are giving business the confidence to invest over the long term and developing cutting-edge technology that will create high skilled jobs."
Stateside, driverless have been navigating the streets with increasing frequency and it appear Detroit is interested in joining the revolution. Ford recently opened a new research facility in Silicon Valley, an ideal location for developing tech to ease the wheels out of the hands of drivers.
"Silicon Valley is a marketplace of ideas and it's important to be here and be a part of that," said Ford CEO Mark Field in late January. "The research center is another proof point of that."
