CAM enables vehicles to drive without human intervention while connecting with each other and surrounding infrastructure.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the tech could help save 3,900 lives and prevent 60,000 serious accidents. It could also add 342,000 additional jobs, with 12,250 directly in automotive manufacturing, by 2040.

It could give Britons access to lower insurance premiums, with less stressful commutes and greater freedom for those with restricted mobility. Businesses may be able to move goods and perform industrial processes more efficiently.

But SMMT called on the government to introduce new legislation in this parliament or risk losing the potential economic benefits. Boosting the roll-out would help the UK “cement its status as a global leader in this next-gen tech,” it said.

According to the body, public-private investment of more than £600m has already been committed to CAM testing since 2015, but...