It was only last month that the Highway Code cracked own on mobile phone use while driving. So, it may come as a surprise that the government is now all set to let you watch TV while driving.
The proviso? You need to be sat in a self-driving car.
The announcement is part of the push to highlight the benefits of self-driving cars when they do become prevalent on our roads in the not-too-distant future.
Netflix and Drive
The new Highway Code will state that drivers can watch videos, check emails and enjoy other screen-based features on the car’s built-in infotainment system.
That is so long as the car is self-driving under 37mph while remaining in a single lane and in congestion on, say, a busy road or motorway.
The new code will also stipulate that you must be ready at any time to take back control of your car, i.e., you can’t put the seat back and have a kip.
TV good, mobile bad?
Despite this seismic change, mobile phone use will remain banned outright.
The reason? When the self-driving car requires the driver to step in and take over, the entertainment being shown on the in-car screen can be cut immediately and replaced with a request for the driver to resume control safely and easily.
However, mobile devices can’t typically do this plus research suggests that performing activities via handheld devices has a “marked impact on the time drivers take to respond to transition demands,” says a Department for Transport statement.
Next gen driving
With the UK’s first self-serving cars expected to be ready for use later this year, the idea of watching YouTube while driving at 37mph may become a reality rather sooner than expected.
After all, the government is ploughing forward with its self-driving car strategy and is expected to have a full regulatory framework in place by 2025.
The government also believes the move will actually improve road safety across Britain because 88% of all recorded road collisions are wholly or in part down to human error.
“This is a major milestone in our safe introduction of self-driving vehicles, which will revolutionise the way we travel, making our future journeys greener, safer and more reliable.”
- Transport Minister Trudy Harrison
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Photos by Malte Helmhold on Unsplash.