Users of self driving cars will be able to watch a movie behind the wheel under new draft Highway Code rules - but it would still be illegal for them to use their phone.
Earlier today, the government revealed a list of proposed rules motorists will have to obey once self-driving cars are approved for use on UK roads. Self-driving cars are meant to cut down on road accidents by educing human error, the cause of 88% of crashes according to The Department of Transport.
READ MORE: Car insurance company By Miles only charges you when your car is driving
While called 'self driving' the vehicles will not be fully automated, meaning a list of confusing rules about what motorists can and can't do behind the wheel. The draft plans come ahead of regulations expected to be introduced in 2025 and as of now, there are no vehicles approved for self-driving in Britain .
The Mirror reported everything we know so far about how the rules will work for motorists with self-driving cars.
1) If the car crashes, it is not your fault
Provided the car is in self-driving mode, if the vehicle is involved in an accident it is not the owner's fault. Instead, insurance companies will be liable.
2) Drivers can watch films behind the wheel
Changes to the Highway Code will allow drivers to binge their favourite boxsets, watch a new film and surf the web in self-driving cars.
Under new rules, as long as drivers keep in a single lane and below 37mph, motorists in autonomous vehicles could watch TV or the latest movies while they drive.
But this will only be allowed if drivers watch films on built-in screens, not separate devices like laptops and phones.
This is because in the event of an emergency, on a built-in screen the film will cut out and the driver will be alerted.
3) You can't use a phone - at all
Even if the car is in control, it will be illegal to use a phone behind the wheel.
The government said: "It will, however, still be illegal to use mobile phones in self-driving mode, given the greater risk they pose in distracting drivers as shown in research."
4) You have to stay in the driving seat
Even if the car is driving, you have to remain in the driver's seat. This is because you may have to take control at short notice.
The Department for Transport said one Brit the rules were tested on was bamboozled by this, thinking they were even allowed to change seats and go to sleep while the car took over.
5) You have to be sober
Just like driving a normal car, if you are in a self-driving vehicle you have to be under the drink drive limits and not be under the influence of drugs.
6) You will still need MOTs, tax and insurance
Self-driving cars will still need to be kept up to date with safety checks and insurance just like other vehicles.
Government guidance says: "The vehicle must be road legal (for example it must have an MOT certificate, if applicable and it must be taxed and insured) and the vehicle must be roadworthy."
7) Drivers might not have to pay speeding tickets
Owners of self-driving cars might not be criminally liable if the vehicles make mistakes - meaning drivers will not pay fines like speeding tickets.
The government's legal advisers, the Law Commission, have suggested law changes making drivers immune from prosecution or fines if their robot car makes a mistake. Currently, if the owner is driving the car then any errors are their fault.
The proposed new laws would mean mistakes made by a car driving itself are not the owner's fault. Instead, the car maker or designer of the self-driving car software will be responsible.
The government said today insurers will be responsible, but it is still considering the Law Commission's proposals. Either way, drivers would not be liable if their car makes a mistake.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
