The cross-party Transport Commission said that regulations need to be rapidly modernised to tackle concerns about safety, legal liability and infrastructure ahead of proposals to allow SDVs to be fully deployed on British roads in 2025.

“For the UK specifically, there may be a delicate balance to be struck between remaining at the forefront of innovation and keeping the wider public on board,” the Commission said in a report.

Over the last decade, progress has stalled on autonomous vehicles on both sides of the Atlantic, despite predictions that they would be commonplace by now. While the technology already exists for autonomous vehicles to drive relatively safely on UK roads, legislation has held the technology back from hitting the mainstream.

Last year, the government proposed changes to the Highway Code that would allow drivers to watch TV at speeds of up to 37mph when fully autonomous cars are rolled out. The rules would mean drivers are not responsible...