According to the BBC, the UK will update the Highway Code this summer to address some of the problems of autonomous driving of cars. The draft amendment stipulates that it will be legal to watch TV through in-vehicle infotainment devices (mainly dashboard-mounted touch screens) where autonomous driving itself is legal. Currently, this can only happen when driving at low speeds on congested highways.
"When an autonomous vehicle drives itself in an effective situation, you're not responsible for how it drives. You can take your attention off the road, and you can view the content, if available, through the vehicle's built-in infotainment device. "But even if cars are allowed to drive themselves, it's still illegal to use cell phones or similar handheld technology in the car — unless, under normal law, drivers are asked to call emergency services."
The update is part of what the government calls an "interim measure" designed to support early adopters of self-driving cars, but a full regulatory framework is expected to arrive in 2025.