The UK roads are about to get an influx of driveless cars after the British Government decided to relax the rules that govern autonomous driving technology testing. By doing so the government hopes that the UK is at the centre of it all when it comes to developing such advanced driving systems. The first trials will begin this year and will take place on local roads. By 2017 these trials will move to cover motorway routes and so called strategic roads. The plan is to make the technology available to the mass market by the end of the decade. But there is another reason, the government wants to become a world leader in developing autonomous technology. It’s down to economics, if the UK leads the way in developing driverless cars then it could be worth billions to the economy. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said “Britain must take bold decisions now to ensure it leads the world when it comes to new technologies and infrastructure,” He added “Driverless cars could represent the most fundamental change to transport since the invention of the internal combustion engine.” Industry analysts expect the future global market for autonomous vehicular technology to be valued at around $1.9 trillion dollars by 2025. Where there is money to be made then the competition is sure to be intense. Germany is already trailing autonomous vehicles. Google has been testing automated cars in the US for a number of years now and Volvo believes the technology will lead to an error free future where crashes caused by human error will consigned to the history books. Most of all the major auto manufactures are investing heavily in autonomous vehicle tech. Indeed the technology is already so advanced that it could be sold to market today. However to be certain that the technology is fool-proof testing will take years before legislators are confident that the gains are worth the investment. Semi-automated driving technology is already on the market however radar-guided cruise control is more of an hands free assist than a fully automated system.