UK leads ‘driverless cars’ online search
There is more public interest in driverless car technology in the UK than anywhere else in the world, but motorists can’t be trusted not to interfere with autonomous vehicles being tested on public roads.
According to Tim Marlow, head of autonomous and connected vehicle research, Ageas, there are more online searches for ‘driverless cars’ in the UK than anywhere else on the planet.
However, speaking alongside him at an insurance seminar in London, A future with autonomous driving cars, Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham, said that some other drivers behave differently if they realise they are alongside an autonomous vehicle, making testing of the systems difficult.
He said, ‘It’s proven that if AD testing is known, other drivers will ‘have a go’. It’s not good for research if you know where I am.’
Matthew said there was evidence of other drivers deliberately cutting in front of autonomous vehicles and steering towards them to see how they react.
