Many of us still fly, making international and national journeys where much of the flight is controlled by an autopilot, so we're comfortable knowing that a computer can control a journey.

We're now at a stage where the technology exists to allow road-going vehicles to be fully autonomous, with organisations such as the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory and some American institutions producing lots of testing that shows that the vehicles can operate effectively.

Accidents that have occurred in those tests are often attributed to human error. And if you look at the results of accidents that have occurred on our road network, the majority are classified as inattention or attention diverted, which is very much a human feature.

The technology does exist, and it will help provide a safer environment for drivers and road users. It will also provide an environment in which we can ensure that those vehicles stay within the regulations.

The question is whether the public is ready for autonomous vehicles. We go to airports, as at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, and get into a little monorail without a driver, which is controlled remotely. We put our confidence into those to bring us to the next part of our destination, so why can’t we put our confidence into autonomous vehicles?

Cross-border signage that is AV-readable

When autonomous vehicles arrive, we might well have to make cross-border journeys – especially on the island of Ireland. Satellite navigation systems already feature journey planners that can direct us to international destinations. What you're doing is programming your vehicle to get you to a destination and then it's relying on the technology of the car to drive you along that road, even if it crosses a national border. AV technology also relies on sensors to keep the vehicle driving along a particular route, staying between the lines, and far enough away from the vehicle in front while picking up the technology from satellites about areas with different speed limits. In the future, it will very much depend on what regulations exist in individual countries and how satellite technology is used to determine location and control vehicles.

From country to country, road signs and technology changes, but we still have carriageway markings and speed limits. The use of satellite technology could determine the vehicle’s location, so it can be pre-programmed with different regulations for differing speed limits and different technologies. For example, in the Irish Republic, speed limits are in kilometres per hour, as opposed to miles per hour in the North, so the car's not going to be able to read what the speed limit sign says. However, you would have to have a pre-programmed technology to tell you what the speed limit is in that particular area.

Setting out international parameters

If you think about how engine ratings and vehicle emissions have international standards set by the likes of the EU, it's the same with autonomous vehicles. We would need to set up the principles, agree parameters and set up the legislation in each jurisdiction so that the manufacturers of these vehicles can have them programmed to specifically accommodate rules and regulations that would be in place for AVs.

This is going to be the era that sees a steep change in how we travel – and national borders won’t be a barrier to those advances.

Karen McShane was in conversation with Craig Thomas

For further reading on autonomous vehicles, see Are autonomous vehicles unsafe or are us humans to blame? by Dr Isobel Wilson, Policy Advisor - Transport Technology at CIHT.

Karen McShane, CIHT vice-president, civil engineer and transport planner

For further reading on autonomous vehicles, see Are autonomous vehicles unsafe or are us humans to blame? by Dr Isobel Wilson, Policy Advisor - Transport Technology at CIHT.