Half of all new cars in Britain will be driverless within 25 years – marking end of crashes, parking tickets and speeding fines
HALF the new cars sold in Britain will be driverless in 25 years paving the way for an end of crashes, parking tickets and speeding fines, it has been claimed.
A new report into the future of the UK motor industry found autonomous cars will have huge benefits over normal, driven vehicles.
This includes lower number of traffic accidents as cars will be able to avoid collisions by communicating with each other.
Passengers will only be responsible for choosing the destination.
There will also be an increase in car sharing, bringing down the cost of owning a car, while the driving test will be overhauled and become far easier.
Owners of autonomous cars will be able to wave goodbye to parking fines and driving offences. Passengers can simply get out of the car which will then find a suitable space to park.
The findings come from Kia, which commissioned a study by Dr Frank Shaw from the Centre for Future Studies.
Dr Shaw said: "The future of the car industry is an exciting one, as there will be a transformation from an industry built by mechanics to one that is largely driven by software developers.
"There is considerable speculation in 2016 about autonomous driving, the full impacts of which will not become manifest until the 2040s.
"I am confident however that over the next twenty five years, the industry and technology companies will deliver a safer, more efficient and environmentally friendly driving experience for everyone."
Kia claim that in 2027, new electric cars will outsell conventional combustion engined vehicles.
This is despite alternatively-fuelled cars currently only make up around three per cent of sales in the UK.
The increase will be on the back of electric car range increasing to more than 500 miles per charge and owners becoming more and more environmentally conscious.
Improved technology will also mean electric cars can be charged to 75 per cent in just 15 minutes.
By 2041, it is claimed autonomous cars will have their own lanes on motorways and will, under certain conditions, be able to 'communicate' with the road to identify obstacles, travel delays and even potholes.
The rise of driverless cars will also help disabled people who cannot drive themselves.
Paul Philpott, Kia Motors UK President and CEO, added: "Technology in the motoring industry is moving at an incredibly fast pace, and this report is a fascinating look at how the world around our cars will need to adapt in order to keep up."