Driverless cars could face threat from hackers trying to cause road chaos

Driverless cars will need to be protected from hackers who could take control of vehicles to cause chaos on the roads, cyber security and transport experts have warned.

While autonomous vehicles, such as Google’s self-driving car, could reduce road casualties by eliminating human error, they could also increase the risk of accidents amongst motorists who continue to use manual cars if they are allowed to mix on the same roads, reports The Guardian.

Recent research conducted in driving simulators has shown that human drivers change their behaviour when using the same road as autonomous cars by copying the driving styles and leaving less space between the vehicle in front.

While an autonomous vehicle equipped with sensors would be able to react almost instantaneously, reaction times in human drivers are slower.

The warnings come as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) publishes a report on autonomous vehicles and how they can be integrated onto British roads.

It predicts that within 15 years there will be fully autonomous vehicles taking goods and people around Britain, bringing cheaper and safer mobility for passengers.

Driverless cars could also lead to more people living in the countryside as the vehicles will make it easier to get around in rural locations without being able to drive.

This could prove particularly beneficial for older people who retire to the countryside and find they can no longer drive themselves as they get older, yet still need to access shops and healthcare.

Read more at Guardian.co.uk