Lords to question ministers on development of driverless vehicles
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will continue its inquiry investigating driverless vehicles on Tuesday 22 November. The Committee will hear evidence from the Department for Transport, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as well as leading academics.
The Committee will explore with Government ministers how driverless vehicles fit into wider transport strategy and policy and what the Government is doing to ensure knowledge gained in their development benefits all sectors.
The Committee will also examine with the academics the socio-economic aspects of the deployment of self-driving cars such as how much is really understood about human interaction with the technology.
At 10:40am the Committee will hear from:
- Professor Sarah Sharples, Professor of Human Factors, Faculty of Engineering, Nottingham University
- Professor Natasha Merat, Professor in Human Factors of Transport Systems, Institute for Transport Studies (ITS), University of Leeds
- Mr Andy Graham, Consultant, ITS United Kingdom
The Committee are likely to ask:
- How might information be obtained on drivers' attitudes to using, and buying, automated vehicles or sharing the streets with them?
• How much is known and understood about the behaviour and interaction of people with the technology used for autonomous vehicles?
At 11:40am the Committee will hear from:
- Rt Hon John Hayes MP, Minister of State, Department for Transport
- Mr Nick Hurd MP, Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
The Committee are likely to ask:
- What benefits and drawbacks do you expect from the deployment of highly automated or autonomous vehicles in all sectors in the UK?
- How will the Government ensure that the possible increased convenience of autonomous vehicles does not lead to an increase in journeys by car at the expense of active modes such as walking and cycling?
- Is there a case for extending the role of Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles to include other Government departments to ensure knowledge gained in one sector is shared for the benefit of all?
The evidence session will take place in Committee room 4A on Tuesday 22 November in the House of Lords at 10:30am.
