1 How ALKS works

ALKS keeps the vehicle in the lane and manages its speed, so longitudinal and lateral control is managed by the system. It only works on highways with separation between traffic moving in opposite directions, roads where you’re unlikely to encounter pedestrians and cyclists, so there are some constraints over where it can operate. Currently, it also only works at speeds up to 37mph (60kph), so it's a traffic jam assist feature.

2 What the driver can do

It is proposed that a driver will be permitted to disengage from the driving task, but they will need to be ready to resume control at short notice. They can, for example, watch a film on a screen in the centre console while the ALKS system is operating, but that screen will be disabled when the driver has to resume control. The handover process will be managed by the vehicle alerts and by withdrawing the extra functions that the driver is able to access.

3 Changing lanes

At present, ALKS doesn’t enable the vehicle to change lanes. There is lane-changing software available on some models, so the natural next step is for that technology to be integrated into ALKS, assuming the rollout goes well. Operating at higher speeds is another area where the technology is likely to go next.

4 Public awareness

The general driving public probably aren’t aware of this technology and what it will mean, so there's work to be done, in terms of public awareness. The government is updating the Highway Code to reference this kind of technology, but more will happen to improve that level of awareness and education about the deployment of the systems. Manufacturers will want to sell this equipment and will want people to benefit from the advantages that it can provide, so there will be a bigger push once the systems are ready for market and the regulations are in place.

5 Other drivers

We also need to make sure that other road users interacting with ALKS-equipped vehicles do so safely: we wouldn't want another driver seeing the driver alongside them watching a movie in their car and thinking that's acceptable in a non-ALKS vehicle. There are behavioural adaptations that we need to be mindful of as the system is deployed.

6 Implementation

The responsibility for Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) technology lies with the developers, to make sure that it works on the roads where it's being deployed, so it should work in the context in which the manufacturers are intending to sell it. It’s very important that technology can achieve the level of performance necessary in the environment where it's intended to work.

7 The ALKS list

A vehicle with ALKS qualifies as being self-driving and needs to be listed as such by the Secretary of State for Transport. The DfT will hold a list of all the vehicles that have been approved as ALKS capable. There are no vehicles on that list yet, but over the next 6-12 months, we may well start to see vehicles appearing.

Professor Nick Reed was in conversation with Craig Thomas

For more on ALKS and autonomous driving, read Are autonomous vehicles unsafe or are us humans to blame? by Dr Isobel Wilson, Policy Advisor - Transport Technology at CIHT.

Professor Nick Reed, National Highway’s safety advisor and founder of Reed Mobility

For more on ALKS and autonomous driving, read Are autonomous vehicles unsafe or are us humans to blame? by Dr Isobel Wilson, Policy Advisor - Transport Technology at CIHT.