Peter Vosper: Fancy gizmo's don't excuse bad driving

As more and more of the driving becomes controllable by electronic devices do motorists believe it is unnecessary to indicate?

I can understand if you are in a lane which is dedicated to a left or right turn or if you are following the lane you are travelling in but surely a change of lane or a turn to the left or right requires the driver to inform other road users. 

Admittedly, there are more and more warnings and assists to drivers from electronic systems, including speed limit warnings and controls, braking assistance, lane discipline, warnings where driver fatigue is evident, hazard ahead and even parking.

There are also cameras which go beyond 360 degrees and even show the underneath of the car if driving on tracks or unmade-up roads. The latest cameras even show cars approaching from either side and show the side of the road as you turn left and right as well as warning of cars pulling out and pedestrians walking behind your vehicle. 

There are some driving systems which take over driving on selected roads and all the person in the driving seat must do is keep his or her hands on the steering wheel and look out on the road ahead. Failure to comply will automatically issue a warning and then slow the vehicle down while moving you to the slow lane. 

We have also seen in some countries driverless taxis are on the roads and in the Kings Speech on May 20 the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act was announced and became law. This new Act enables advanced technology to safely drive vehicles on British roads and puts Great Britain firmly at the forefront of self-driving technology, unlocking the potential of an industry estimated to be worth up to £42 billion and creating up to 38,000 more skilled jobs by 2035.

The law will require self-driving vehicles to achieve a level of safety at least as high as careful and competent human drivers, as well as meeting rigorous safety checks before being allowed onto roads. Therefore, in the future deaths and injuries from drink driving, speeding, tiredness and inattention could be drastically reduced. 

The Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said “Britain stands at the threshold of an automotive revolution and this new law is a milestone moment for our self-driving industry which has the potential to change the way we travel for ever. While this doesn’t take away peoples’ ability to drive themselves, our landmark legislation means self-driving vehicles can be rolled out on British roads as soon as 2026, in a real boost to both safety and our economy”

Please help by indicating your intentions to fellow drivers in the interim.