The introduction of self-driving vehicles on public roads will lead to a "moral panic", a transport minister has predicted. Jesse Norman told MPs a "horrendous" part of the development of the technology will be "scare stories, particularly in the early stages".
The UK became the first country in Europe to allow drivers to take their hands off car steering wheels on public roads last month, when the Department for Transport permitted Ford to activate its BlueCruise system on motorways.
BlueCruise controls functions such as steering, acceleration, braking and lane positioning, as long as drivers keep their eyes on the road. Fully self-driving cars remain banned on public roads in the UK apart from during Government-approved trials.
