What are driverless cars?

What is a driverless car?

A driverless car is a vehicle that can drive itself without a person controlling it. The Government defines self-driving vehicles as ones that can travel safely and lawfully on their own. They are sometimes called autonomous or automated vehicles.

How do self-driving cars work?

Driverless cars use artificial intelligence to respond to the road and surrounding traffic without a human driver controlling the vehicle.

They’re equipped with a GPS system to tell them where to go as well as cameras and sensors to detect what’s going on around them. These can spot objects and hazards, such as other vehicles, pedestrians, animals, traffic lights and road markings. They automatically brake, accelerate or steer as they react to the situation.

The specific technology used in driverless cars varies among manufacturers. These vehicles are designed to make smart decisions based on experience, rather than following a set of pre-programmed instructions.

Models currently being tested have controls for a human driver to take over. But that could change as the technology develops in the future. Driverless cars may also share information with each other to improve traffic flow and prevent accidents.

Why do we need autonomous cars?

Self-driving cars have huge potential to change our lives for the better. Benefits could include:

Safety

Human error contributes to more than 88% of road accidents. By removing this risk, driverless cars could make our roads safer, as long as they do their job properly.

Time-saving

The average annual mileage for drivers in the UK is around 7,000. Think of what you could do while your fully-automated car drives itself. You still need to be ready to take back control if need be, but in the meantime you could eat breakfast or prepare for a meeting.

Greener travel

Driverless cars can communicate with each other, sensing where they are in relation to other cars and using traffic information to plot the most efficient route. This could reduce congestion and emissions produced by idling engines in traffic jams.

Better connections for rural communities

Driverless cars could facilitate on-demand services to link up with public transport.

Accessibility

Autonomous cars could offer greater independence to people with mobility issues. For example, the elderly, people with disabilities and even those who are simply uncomfortable behind the wheel.

What are the levels of autonomous driving in driverless cars?

Some cars are more self-sufficient than others. American standards organisation, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has published a classification system identifying six distinct levels of autonomy.

Level 0: No driving automation

All driving tasks are performed by the driver.

Level 1: Driver assist

Most driving tasks are still controlled by the driver, but one aspect of driving – such as cruise control or lane assistance – can be performed automatically.

Level 2: Partial automation

The car can take over some aspects of driving, but the driver still needs to be engaged with their surroundings. Partial self-driving features include automatic emergency braking and lane assistance.

Level 3: Conditional automation

The car can cover nearly all aspects of driving itself, but only in certain environments – for example, on motorways and for very limited periods. The driver must be ready to take back control if needed.

Level 4: High automation

The car drives automatically without needing input from the driver, although there must still be a human on board. It can operate this way in most environments, but not all.

Level 5: Full automation

A level 5 car doesn’t need any involvement from the driver. It’s able to complete all driving tasks, under any conditions, and understand all scenarios, including traffic jams. The car wouldn’t need a steering wheel or pedals.

Are self-driving cars safe?

Autonomous cars stick to the rules of the road and don’t get tired or distracted.

But several crashes involving driverless vehicles have hit the headlines in recent years, some even fatal.

As such, there’s still a huge question mark in many minds over whether driverless cars can safely navigate public roads. And there are actions driverless cars may find more difficult than human drivers. These include:

• Recognising hand signals from police directing traffic

• Telling the difference between dangerous debris and harmless litter on the road

• Seeing potholes

• Responding to temporary traffic lights.

Another big safety worry is whether driverless cars can be taken over by malicious hackers. There are security measures in place to prevent this but hackers can often overcome even the most secure systems. So it will be up to cybersecurity experts to stay one step ahead.

What are the risks of driverless cars?

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has warned of risks involved in automation. That is especially true while cars still require humans to take over in an emergency. These include:

• Task allocation – there’s a temptation to automate easy driving tasks and leave more challenging ones to humans

• Disengagement – a lack of practice makes people slower to react and less skilled if or when they’re needed to intervene

• Cognition – drivers could become bored and get distracted at critical moments if they’re not continually engaged in the act of driving

• Control – people need to know when and how to intervene to take control. This could be particularly problematic for young drivers who may lack the experience and ability to anticipate situations.

What rules apply to driverless cars?

The Department for Transport (DfT) allows driverless cars to be tested on public roads in certain circumstances.

The Highway Code was updated in 2022 to include rules for self-driving vehicles, and the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act became law in 2024.

The changes state that when the vehicle is in full self-driving mode, the driver:

• Is not responsible for how a vehicle drives

• Is allowed to turn their attention away from the road

• Can view content on the in-built infotainment display.

However, if the vehicle asks the user to take back control, they must be ready to do so. It is still illegal to drink-drive, fall asleep or use a hand-held mobile phone when you are responsible for the vehicle.

Under the Automated Vehicles Act, a user-in-charge will not usually be responsible for how an authorised self-driving vehicle is driven while self-driving mode is on. In some cases, responsibility may instead fall to the insurer or the organisation behind the self-driving system.

When will driverless cars be available in the UK?

The UK government has said self-driving vehicles could begin appearing on British roads from 2026 for tests and pilot schemes, with the full AV Act framework due to be implemented in 2027.

The motor insurance industry is also a key driver in autonomous vehicle testing. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is working closely with Thatcham Research and vehicle manufacturers to set out key criteria for automated vehicles. The focus is on safety standards, regulations and the development of safety technology in autonomous vehicles.

According to the ABI and Thatcham Research, clear safety standards need to be in place before driverless vehicles are made available to the UK public.

Driverless technology already available

Certain safety features of driverless tech that assist drivers do already exist in some cars. These include:

Automatic emergency braking (AEB)

Now a standard feature on most family cars, AEB can sense if a collision is about to happen and apply the brakes automatically. Some systems can detect pedestrians and animals too. According to Thatcham Research, AEB has been shown to reduce rear-end crashes by 38%.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC)

This maintains a set distance away from the car in front to keep pace with the traffic and stop you from getting too close to other vehicles.

Lane assist

This steers you back into your lane if you start to drift, perhaps through a lack of concentration or drowsiness.

Parking assist

This uses an array of sensors and cameras to park your car for you. It will scan the space before steering itself in, if it’s suitable, with the driver keeping full control of the pedals.

How will driverless car insurance work?

Traditional car insurance focuses primarily on driver risk and behaviour. With self-driving vehicles, insurance considerations will become more complex. In the future, insurance companies will need to evaluate risks that involve AI reliability, decision-making and cybersecurity.

A major consideration is liability. If an accident happens, who will be responsible? The insurance company, the manufacturer or the driver? A whole new insurance model may need to be developed to cover all potential risks, including new risks such as cyber-hacking.

Insurance providers will likely consider different levels of automation when quoting for driverless car insurance.

How much will it cost to insure a driverless car?

It’s impossible to say until driverless cars are fully legal on UK roads. But it is possible that self-driving cars might cut insurance costs for car owners.

It’s thought that reducing human error will lead to fewer accidents. If that’s true, insurance providers may reward owners with a reduction in their premium.

Exactly what car insurance for fully autonomous cars will be like isn’t known just yet. But if it’s time to review the cover on your car, you can compare new insurance deals with us.