According to the latest Highway Code（公路法）, insurance companies rather than individuals will be liable（有责任的）for claims if self-driving cars are involved in crashes, the Department for Transport（DfT）said.

However, the update to the Code will make it clear that drivers must be ready to take back control of vehicles when needed. While the DfT also plans to allow drivers to watch TV and films on built-in screens while using self-driving cars, it will still be illegal to use a mobile phone. These measures are temporary by the government to support the early deployment（部署）of self-driving vehicles.

There are currently no vehicles approved for self-driving on UK roads but the first models could be given the green light later this year. It comes a year after the DfT announced it would allow hands-free driving in vehicles with lane-keeping technology on congested motorways. While many cars already have “assistive” technology, drivers must remain fully in control.

Transport minister Trudy Harrison said updating the Highway Code will be a “major milestone in our safe introduction of self-driving vehicles, making our future journeys greener, safer and more reliable. ”   She added: “In doing so, we can help improve travel for all while promoting economic growth across the nation. ”The DfT believes that the development of self-driving vehicles could create around 38,000 new jobs in Britain and be worth £41.7 billion to the economy by 2035.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said driverless cars “promise a future where death and injury on our roads are cut significantly” but there is likely to be a “long period of transition（过渡期）” while drivers accept “much of the responsibility for what happens”.

The next time San Franciscans take a cab, they may step into a car with no one behind the steering wheel (方向盘). Driverless taxis are now allowed to drive on the city’s streets — with some conditions.

Last week, regulators of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to issue a novel permit to Cruise, the self-driving vehicle branch company of General Motors (GM). The first-of-its-kind permit allows Cruise to charge for rides, without a human driver in the car. Cruise had already been offering free rides in its self-driving cars, but the move allows the company to launch fully autonomous commercial operations in the Bay Area.

Cruise can operate just 30 autonomous vehicles without a safety driver, and the company can only charge for rides between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m. in neighbourhoods that are outside of the busy down town area. Weather conditions are also a factor: No autonomous taxi rides when there’s heavy rain, heavy fog, heavy smoke, or snow in the forecast. Shared rides aren’t allowed.

Cruise’s technology is made up of a series of sensors and cameras built into a Chevrolet Bolt, an entirely electric car made by GM. Cruise has also announced plans for a car of their own, the Cruise Origin. The Cruise Origin lacks pedals (脚踏板), mirrors, a steering wheel and consists mostly of a sitting space, where passengers can face each other.

Supporters of self-driving vehicles say the technology has the possibility to reduce traffic deaths and injuries, expand transportation options, save money and lower the environmental impact of cars. As Waymo’s former CEO John Krafcik said, “We can be good drivers when we are focused. But because we are human, we are often not focused.”

What is China’s High-Speed Rail (HSR)? Generally speaking, a rail network that offers 200–350 kph trains is an HSR network. Now, China has the largest high-speed rail network in the world. There are “4 vertical lines and 4 horizontal(水平的) lines” for the main China HSR network. This means there are four north–south high-speed rail lines and four east–west high-speed rail lines. They are the basis for the China high-speed rail network.

The four north–south HSR lines

Beijing–Shanghai Route

* Length: 1,318 km

* Design speed: 350 kph

It connects two popular cities and reduces the journey time from 12 hours to 5 hours (2 hours by air).

Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Route

* Length: 2,240 km

* Design speed: 350 kph

It is the longest passenger-transport dedicated high-speed rail line in the world. It connects North China, Central China, and South China.

Beijing–Harbin Route

* Length: 1,300 km

* Design speed: 350 kph

It connects Northeast China with the national capital, Beijing. It cuts the journey time from 12 hours to 6 hours between Beijing and Harbin.

Hangzhou–Shenzhen Route

* Length: 1,600 km

* Design speed: 250–350 kph

It connects the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta. The Hangzhou–Ningbo section is passenger-transport dedicated. The rest trip is mixed for passenger and cargo (货物) transport.

Experience Bullet Train in Your China Trip

If you are interested in experiencing a bullet train in your China trip, please see our popular tours below for inspiration:

* 5-Day Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou Bullet Train Tour

* CLASSIC WONDERS - 11 Days Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin/Yangshu, Shanghai Private Tour

Or you can just tell us your interests and requirements, and we can help you create a China tour.