Britain launches new project to test autonomous cars

Britain has launched a multi-million-pound project to develop the technology of driverless cars, giving the green light to the testing of the futuristic vehicles on public roads.

UK officials told AFP on Wednesday that driverless cars would improve road safety and create jobs for Britons in the sector.

"We are launching officially four trials of semi-autonomous vehicles, the first step on the route to driverless technology," said Transport Minister Claire Perry at the unveiling of a driverless car prototype in Greenwich, southeast London.

Britain, the third biggest car producer in Europe, is providing £19-million ($28.9-million, 25.6-million-euro) to fund testing in several areas in the country.

"It's very good for road safety. Right now 93 percent of accidents are caused by driver error. It also has the opportunity to free up people's time, to give us extra time in our days. And the other opportunity is to use the road capacity better," Perry noted.

The project includes testing a driverless shuttle vehicle in Greenwich and a driverless pod prototype in Milton Keynes in central England.

An autonomous military jeep, designed by BAE Systems, will also be trialed in the southwestern city of Bristol.

According to a survey carried out by uSwitch.com, nearly half of Britons are unwilling to be a passenger in a driverless car, while 16 percent of them think the idea is horrific.

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