In the Kings Speech on November 7, the Government announced a new Automated Vehicles (AV) Bill which delivers one of the most comprehensive legal frameworks of its kind anywhere in the world for self-driving vehicles.

Safety on the roll out of self-driving vehicles will be a priority, as the Government want to position the UK as world leaders in this £42 billion industry.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “Our new Bill ensures safety is at the heart of our plans to see self-driving vehicles on our roads, making the UK a great place to develop this technology.”

This safety framework is said to ensure clear liability for the user, set the safety threshold for legal self-driving and establish an in-use regulatory scheme to monitor the ongoing safety of these vehicles.

This new initiative could cerate up to 38,000 new jobs within the growing high-tech industry, the Government say, as they fund and support further trials of these vehicles.

Alex Kendall, Co-founder and CEO of Wayve, said: “By setting out a clear path to commercialisation, new primary legislation for self-driving vehicles gives us the confidence to continue investing in research and development and growing our talent base here in the UK.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the government to cement the UK’s role as a global centre of excellence for self-driving technology that will make our roads safer and unlock new growth.”