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Update on Driverless Car Trials and Code of Practice - Ruth Graham, BLM

22/06/15. On 11th February 2015 the government launched a regulatory review giving the green light for driverless car testing in the UK, and launched driverless car projects in four British locations. The car trials are being operated by a consortia of stakeholders which includes insurers, software engineers, vehicle manufacturers, university researchers, and local councils.

The trial of Greenwich’s Meridian shuttle was the first trial to commence, starting on the February launch date. Visitors to the Greenwich peninsula can now use a milk-float type driverless shuttle to travel between local tourist destinations. This is the first of three trials being conducted in Greenwich by the Gateway consortium over the next two years. The second trial involves autonomous car valet parking and the focus of the third trial will be based on findings from the trials and feedback from stakeholders.

Trials in Bristol are estimated to take three years and will be run by the Venturer Consortium. The focus will be on the testing of BAE’s Bowler Wildcat off-road vehicle. This vehicle incorporates features such as sensors, including lidars and cameras, which assess the local terrain. Live trials will take place on public and private roads.

Consortium Autodrive will be operating a twin city project in Coventry and Milton Keynes. The first proposed step of the project, planned to start in...

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