Self-driving cars look like the thing of the future and the Highway Code is set to adapt to their introduction.
We often wonder what our future will look like, with the typical artists' concept looking at flying buses, meals contained within a pill and microchips implanted into the brain.
It is usually speculative stuff, but not driverless cars, which could well be approved for use on the roads in the coming years.
The motoring technology is likely to be phased in and may begin with use in congested traffic.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said: "With self-driving technology rapidly developing across the globe, Britain’s first vehicles approved for self-driving could be ready for use later this year. Vehicles will undergo rigorous testing and only be approved as self-driving when they have met stringent standards."
With the responsibility for safety on the roads passed from the human brain, new rules will have to be in place for drivers to tell them what they can and can't do on the roads.
What Highway Code rules will there be for self-driving cars?
Changes to the Highway Code are expected to allow drivers to view content on built-in display screens when the car is controlling itself, as long as drivers keep in a single lane and below 37mph.
Use of mobile phones will continue to be illegal and "motorists must be ready to resume control in a timely way if they are prompted to".
However, the new rules will allow you to watch films and TV when the car is in motion, as long as you're watching on a built-in screen and not on your phone or tablet.
That's because the vehicle will alert drivers and stop the screening if they need to pay attention to the road.
Transport minister Trudy Harrison said: "This is a major milestone in our safe introduction of self-driving vehicles, which will revolutionise the way we travel, making our future journeys greener, safer and more reliable."
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "The Highway Code has been updated a number of times in recent years to reflect the rapidly changing transport world we live in and these latest additions will help us all understand what we must and must not do as we move forward to an environment where cars drive themselves."
When will the self-driving car changes be made to the Highway Code?
The changes to the Highway Code for self-driving cars are currently planned and proposed by the government, though no date has yet been confirmed.
With technology improving, these are also unlikely to be the only amendments to the code that spring up as a result of self-driving cars. The government has already approved the use of an automated lane keeping system (ALKS) in cars in slow traffic.
Gooding added: "The final part of the jigsaw is to ensure these amendments are widely communicated to, and understood by, vehicle owners.
"Vehicle manufacturers and sellers will have a vital role to play in ensuring their customers fully appreciate the capabilities of the cars they buy and the rules that govern them."
Drivers will not be liable for claims if vehicles are involved in collisions, the insurance company will be. However, drivers will still be expected to take control of the car at a moment's notice.
