Britain rolls out driverless car testing around the nation

Britain has given the green light for driverless cars to be tested on the country's public roads, according to reports.

The testing comes after a UK Government review, which allowed the automakers to test the vehicles on the public roads of UK without having to take additional permission, according to the Associated Press.

The project was "still in the early days," Transport Minister Claire Perry said, but she added the new technology has the potential make roads safer and attract global investment.

The project, backed by £19 million ($30 billion) of government funding, will see driverless vehicles on the urban streets of four U.K. locations: Bristol, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Greenwich.

The vehicles involved in the tests will include one that resembles a golf buggy known as the Lutz Pathfinder, a shuttle called Meridian and a truck called the BAE Wildcat.

Perry added: "Driverless cars are the future, [and] I want Britain to be at the forefront of this exciting new development, to embrace a technology that could transform our roads and open up a brand new route for global investment."

The UK government is expected to publish a driverless car "code of practice" in Spring. "[This] will be quicker to establish, more flexible and less onerous for those wishing to engage in testing than the regulatory approach being followed in other countries, notably in the US," said the report.

However, the report said the vehicle testing will not technically be "driverless", as there will always need to be a suitably qualified "test driver" present.

Dr Nick Reed from the Transport Research Lab, which is running the Greenwich trials, said the shuttles use sensors to avoid hazards, according to Sky News.

"Safety is paramount in our research and the vehicle is detecting moving objects around it, and if pedestrians are moving into its path it will slow down, and if they continue into its path it will come to a safe stop ahead of the pedestrian," he added.