Self-driving cars to be allowed on UK roads this year By Cristina Criddle image copyrightGetty Images image captionDrivers will be allowed to take their hands off the wheel if ALKS is enabled Self-driving vehicles could be allowed on UK roads by the end of this year, the government has said. The Department for Transport said automated lane-keeping systems (ALKS) would be the first type of hands-free driving legalised. The technology controls the position and speed of a car in a single lane but only up to speeds of 37mph (60km/h) But insurers have warned the government's definition of ALKS as 'self-driving' is misleading.