Driverless cars to go on test drive in UK in 2019

London, April 24 (IANS) A consortium of British companies on Monday unveiled a plan to test driverless cars on UK roads and motorways in 2019, the media reported.

The Driven consortium led by Oxbotica, which makes software for driverless vehicles, also plans to try out a fleet of autonomous vehicles between London and Oxford, the BBC reported.

The cars will communicate with one another about any hazards and should operate with almost full autonomy — but will have a human on board as well.

Previous tests of driverless vehicles in the UK have mainly taken place at slow speeds and not on public roads.

"We’re moving from the singleton autonomous vehicle to fleets of autonomous vehicles — and what’s interesting is what data the vehicles share with one another, when, and why," the BBC quoted founder Paul Newman, a professor from Oxford University, as saying.

The project is backed by a government grant of 8.6 million pounds ($11 million) and involves an insurance company which will assess the risks involved at each stage of the journey.