As self-driving vehicles edge closer to UK roads, Autotech Training is urging the automotive sector to prioritise Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) training as the essential foundation for safely supporting the next generation of autonomous vehicles.
Under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, the UK has established a legal framework covering safety, liability and insurance for automated vehicles, paving the way for the first limited deployments which are expected later this year.
However, while public focus often centres on driverless taxis and buses, industry adoption is accelerating first in high-utilisation, specialist environments such as airports.
Aviation leading the first wave of adoption
Airports are already emerging as a key proving ground for autonomous vehicle deployment. Teesside International Airport has begun piloting autonomous passenger shuttles and baggage-handling systems as part of a phased rollout of driverless systems across its operations.
Alongside airport deployments, autonomous vehicles are being introduced within port and container terminals, and automated shuttle services are being piloted to connect business parks, university campuses and transport interchanges.
Local authorities are also exploring driverless shuttle links between regional transport hubs, including airport-to-harbour connections in Scotland.
These environments offer predictable routes, managed operating domains and measurable efficiency gains, making them well suited to early-stage deployment before wider adoption in private vehicle ownership.
Lessons from EV adoption
The trajectory mirrors the evolution of electric vehicles. A decade ago, EVs accounted for just over 1% of the UK car park.
Growth was initially driven not only by private motorists, but by fleet operators, delivery companies and public sector organisations able to deploy vehicles within predictable operating patterns and controlled charging infrastructure.
Today, there are more than one million electric vehicles on British roads. That expansion was enabled by regulatory clarity, infrastructure investment and, critically, a workforce retrained to manage high-voltage systems safely and competently.
The lesson for autonomy is clear: technological progress alone does not determine adoption. Skills readiness across the service and repair network is equally decisive.
Industry projections suggest that by 2035, up to 40% of new car sales could feature self-driving capabilities, with the sector potentially supporting 38,000 jobs and contributing £42 billion to the UK economy.
However, the transition to autonomy will not be defined solely by AI and software. It will depend heavily on the integrity, calibration and maintenance of the physical sensor stack that enables automated decision-making.
