UK Economy To Get Boost From Driverless Cars

Fresh research from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has indicated that self-driving cars will provide a big boost to the overall UK economy.

The study – “Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: The UK Economic Opportunity” – which was carried out by KPMG, found that driverless cars will generate some 320,000 jobs in the UK in the next 15 years. Overall, some £51 billion will be injected into the UK economy by self-driving motors – and this country will apparently be a global leader when it comes to producing these vehicles.

More importantly, the forecast is that the number of serious accidents on the road could be reduced by 25,000 come 2030, thanks to driverless cars.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, commented: “Connected and autonomous cars will transform our roads and the way our society functions for generations to come, dramatically reducing accidents and helping to deliver more than £50 billion to our economy.”

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill chipped in: “New technology is fundamental to government’s ambitious vision for our roads. That is why we are making huge investments to support innovation, including £19 million for real-world trials of driverless cars and £100 million to research autonomous vehicles, as recently announced in the Budget. Connected and autonomous cars will help us move towards a smart, safe, efficient and low-carbon future.”

How the public will take to driverless cars is another matter, with some research indicating that many folks aren’t so keen on the idea of them, despite their potential accident-preventing nature.