[...]The Foresight report said: 'In the longer term, artificial control systems, with control algorithms tuned over millions of hours of simulated and real driving, will have the advantage over humans. Eventually we may come to prefer automated rather than human control.'

RFID tags, sensors, GPS technology, 4G networks, wi-fi and artificial intelligence will be embedded into vehicles and the transport network to create an 'intelligent infrastructure', according to the report. This would inevitably be central to the government's already announced road-user charging strategy.

The report said: 'Vehicles will incorporate hundreds of network nodes to manage fuel efficiency, security, passenger monitoring and passenger comfort, as well as inter-vehicle distances and optimal vehicle speeds.'