LonDON — British officials say driverless cars will be tested on roads in as many as three cities in a trial program to begin in January 2015.

This new decision has the UK encouraging the automotive sector to  develop driverless cars and is interested in testing them on its roads. It was announced on Wednesday, with a multimillion-pound research fund and a review into the relevant laws around road safety.

One of the more popular models, the Google driverless vehicle, has been making headlines with mostly favorable results.

The U.K. has groups currently working to develop their own technology for an autonomous vehicle. Engineers at the University of Oxford and the engineering firm Mira have been working to provide this technology to the military. They are currently testing these cars on a site in the Midlands.

Officials said Wednesday the tests will last up to three years. Sensors and cameras will guide the cars.

The plan will include two types of driverless technology. One places a driver in the car who can take the controls if needed; another calls for a fully autonomous vehicle with no driver present. Similarly, several states in the U.S. have reviewed its laws to include autonomous vehicles since 2011. Google’s driverless cars have racked up more than 300,000 miles in California alone.

Transport Minister Claire Perry said driverless cars could transform Britains road network and improve safety and traffic flow while reducing carbon emissions.

The cities to test the system will be chosen in a competition.

Other countries including Japan and the United States are already developing driverless technology. Car manufacturers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan are all working towards their own version of these new vehicles.