Controversial UK Law Will Allow Watching TV Behind The Wheel Of A Self-Driving Car
There are currently no self-driving vehicles allowed on the roads in the UK, but later this year that's supposed to change. In preparation for this, the UK Department of Transport is looking at making changes to the Highway Code to accommodate the addition of self-driving cars to the motorways in the country. The proposed changes are supposed to be added over the summer.
While consuming media from a built-in screen will be allowed, using one's cell phone will still be prohibited, even if the vehicle is driving itself. This is mainly due to the fact that it is assumed that one of the driver's hands will be occupied with the device, and if they need to resume control of the vehicle it could cause issues. That has not stopped many drivers in America who are in full control of their automobile from catching up with notifications on their smartphones while darting in and out of traffic on a busy road. There is one exception noted, however, and that is if the driver needs to make an emergency call the proposed law would provide for that use case.
Trudy Harrison, Transport Minister, stated that updating the Highway Code will be a "major milestone in our safe introduction of self-driving vehicles." She added that self-driving vehicles will "revolutionize the way we travel, making our future journeys greener, safer and more reliable."
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