UK plans for self-driving cars threaten safety, says insurance group

German manufacturers like Daimler AG and US electric carmaker Tesla Inc have been at the forefront of developing sophisticated automated driving features that they insist can be used safely. But Thatcham Research, which is funded by insurers but operates independently, said current technology may not be able to see debris on the road, avoid pedestrians or recognise when a motorway lane is closed. — AFP Relaxnews

LONDON: British government plans that could allow self-driving cars on motorways as soon as 2021 would put lives at risk because the available automated technology falls well short of human driving capabilities, UK insurance group Thatcham Research said on Oct 23.

“We don’t believe that this technology adequately addresses what consumers will do and how they’ll use it,” said Thatcham’s research director Matthew Avery.