by Joe Jeffrey
Highways England to introduce driverless cars as part of £150 million innovation strategy
Highways England has published its new innovation strategy, setting out for the first time its wide-ranging plans to ensure it remains up-to-date with advances in technology in a bid to bring benefits to road users whilst unlocking economic growth.
In an attempt to remain relevant, the government agency aims to introduce roads complete with Wi-Fi which will help advise road users of advanced road closures or congestion warnings, as well as driverless cars as early as next year.
The innovation strategy also details Highways England‘s plans to improve signaling of junctions on motorways in a bid to increase traffic flow, as well as the introduction of a new Test and Innovation Centre to pioneer new research.
Roads Minister Andrew Jones said: “Innovation is absolutely critical to our £15 billion investment plan for roads. A more reliable road network is good news for motorists and good news for the economy. Quicker, safer roads will improve access to jobs and opportunities. Placing Britain at the forefront of innovation and research in this area will also create more jobs and investment.”
Speaking on the innovative approach to improving England’s roads, Highways England chief executive, Jim O’Sullivan, said: “We’re committed to using innovation to benefit the millions of journeys made on England’s Strategic Road Network today and in the future. We will work with our partners in the supply chain, technology specialists and the automotive industry to trial new technologies that will help make journeys on our roads safer, more reliable and better informed.
“This will involve supporting trials of better connected and autonomous vehicles on our motorways by the end of next year, testing radar technology to better detect breakdowns, and trialling fuel price signs on the M5 between Bristol and Exeter.”
What do you think of these plans laid out by Highways England? We’re all for receiving alerts for traffic warnings, but would you feel comfortable hitting the road knowing you could be sharing it with driverless vehicles going at 70mph?
