The Government will spend a further £100m to help bring self-driving vehicles to UK roads, including £34m for research and £20m to help kick-start commercial services.
Ministers also pledged to bring forward new laws, when parliamentary time allows, to support the roll-out of self-driving vehicles by 2025.
The new legislation would 'build on existing laws, and state that manufacturers are responsible for the vehicle’s actions when self-driving, meaning a human driver would not be liable for incidents related to driving while the vehicle is in control of driving'.
In a statement, the Government said it expected that fully automated self-driving technology would be on UK roads by 2025.
At this point, users would not need a driving licence as the vehicle could complete the entire journey on its own.
It added that vehicles capable of driving themselves on motorways 'could be available to purchase within the next year' though users would need a valid driving licence for those.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: 'We want the UK to be at the forefront of developing and using this fantastic technology, and that is why we are investing millions in vital research into safety and setting the legislation to ensure we gain the full benefits that this technology promises.'
Major car companies have already invested billions in automated technology with little on-road results.
The Government did not detail how or when the public money would be allocated but said subsidies could be available to research the performance of self-driving cars in poor weather conditions and how they interact with pedestrians, other vehicles, and cyclists.
The DfT was not available for further comment.
Vocal critic of driverless cars, transport expert Christian Wolmar called the announcement 'nonsense'.
Ministers also said the Government would launch a consultation on a ‘safety ambition’ for self-driving vehicles to be as safe as a competent and careful human driver.
This ambition would inform standards that vehicles need to meet to be allowed to ‘self-drive’ on the roads, and organisations, such as manufacturers, could face sanctions if standards are not met.
The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s (CDEI) Responsible Innovation in Self-Driving Vehicles report will also be published shortly, setting out proposals for a trustworthy approach to the regulation and governance of self-driving vehicles.
