A survey of MPs attitudes towards driverless cars has revealed that most are yet to grasp the impact that upcoming technology will have on the motor industry in the UK and globally.

According to the Dods Polling survey carried out for the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), there is a “general lack of knowledge amongst out legislators on the impact of autonomous vehicles”.

Almost half of MPs were against further investment in autonomous vehicle research, despite the government having announced plans to have trial driverless cars on UK roads by the end of this year. 42 per cent were unsure about the impact autonomous vehicles would have on road safety, while 51 per cent were not confident about what the impact on the insurance industry would be.

“Even a cursory glance at the latest technology news shows a great deal of investment going into driverless vehicles,” said Steve Nash, CEO of IMI. “High profile companies including the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Google, Nissan and even NASA are all now engaged. This technology is not going away.

Even if we dont see fully autonomous vehicles on sale in the next five years, the advancement in technology will have a huge impact on normal vehicles. MPs are in danger of falling asleep at the wheel and need to start paying closer attention to the implications of these changes, both in terms of legislative issues and the large skills gaps it will create in the automotive workforce who maintain cars.”