The use of driver-less machines on site could boost productivity by £400bn while slashing accident rates.

Connected and autonomous plant (CAP) has already been used on the A14 improvement project where automated dump trucks were trialled.

Now Highways England with partners TRL and the Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership (i3P), has set out plans for the use of CAP techniques to become standard industry practice by 2035.

It predicts that adoption of this technology across the construction sector could:

• reduce site fatalities by 37%
• improve productivity by up to £400bn by 2040
• see annual savings of £53bn across new construction work
• assist with 47% of construction activities currently performed

Mark Thurston, CEO of HS2 said: “This work charts an extremely exciting and potentially game changing route as to how we operate our sites as we build Britain.

“My challenge to our industry is to take the steps we can take today to improve our future, moving forwards together to make our people more efficient, and safer than ever.”