"Britain moves closer to a self-driving revolution," said a perky message from the Department for Transport that popped into my inbox on Wednesday morning. The purpose of the message was to let us know that the government is changing the Highway Code to "ensure the first self-driving vehicles are introduced safely on UK roads" and to "clarify drivers' responsibilities in self-driving vehicles, including when a driver must be ready to take back control". The changes will specify that while travelling in self-driving mode, motorists must be ready to resume control in a timely way if they are prompted to, such as when they approach motorway exits. They also signal a puzzling change to current regulations, allowing drivers "to view content that is not related to driving on built-in display screens while the self-driving vehicle is in control". So you could watch Gardeners' World on iPlayer, but not YouTube videos of F1 races? Reassuringly, though, it will still be illegal to use mobile phones in self-driving mode, "given the greater risk they pose in distracting drivers as shown in research".

The cradle of American automotive innovation has in the past decade migrated 2,000 miles from Detroit to Silicon Valley, where autonomous vehicles and other advanced technology is coming to life. In a bid to reclaim the mantle for Motown, Michigan lawmakers have introduced legislation that could make their state the best place in the country, if not the world, to develop self-driving vehicles and put them on the road. But this being Michigan, it's no surprise the proposals favor industry players and could inadvertently (or intentionally) criminalize some research. "Michigan's dominance in auto research and development is under attack from several states and countries who desire to supplant our leadership in transportation. We can't let that happen," says senator Mike Kowall, the lead sponsor of four bills introduced Wednesday.