Using mobile phone at the wheel could become legal again - but it depends on the car
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Using a mobile phone behind the wheel could become legal in self-driving cars, it is reported. Autonomous vehicles can be used in the UK in single-lane traffic below 37mph, such as a motorway traffic jam, but drivers must be able to regain control within 10 seconds if prompted.
Now, research commissioned by the Government shows drivers watching videos on a phone, reading a magazine or playing a game could regain control of the car in 10 seconds and the report claims such activities behind the wheel might be legalised. People were slower to react when playing on a phone than when engaged in other activities, such as reading a magazine or drinking, but still did so within the 10-second timespan, the report added. Motorists caught using their phone while driving can be punished with a £200 fine and six penalty points. It is still illegal to use a phone if the car's self-driving technology is in use.
But it is now legal to let technology drive your car if your vehicle has automated lane keeping system technology and in a single-lane travelling at less than 37mph, for example a motorway traffic jam. The car itself is responsible for driving and the motorist is legally not required to monitor the road under these circumstances.
And the Telegraph says the Highway Code states users are allowed to view content through a car's in-built entertainment system and turn their attention away from the road - becoming a "user-in-charge" and not the driver - when automated lane keeping system technology is used on a single-lane travelling at less than 37mph.
