Lawford Kidd's Blog

The dangers posed by distracted drivers have been well documented, with many road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike riders caught up in accidents caused by a driver’s lack of attention.

IAM RoadSmart has expressed concern that cars with growing levels of autonomy could make motorists lazy and over reliant on gadgets – with far reaching implications for the potential reduction of people killed and seriously injured on the roads.

A recent report from the House of Lord's Science and Technology Committee acknowledged that autonomous cars bring many advantages, but also highlighted that the main social, behavioural and ethical questions relating to their use remain largely unanswered; such as whether they will reduce accidents caused by human error.

It has called for the Government to give priority to commissioning and encouraging research studying behavioural questions and ensure it is an integral part of any trials it funds.