Self-Driving Cars Are Set To Clock At 100Kms/Hour, South Australia To Get The First Ride

Driverless cars that have so far been featured in a number of big budget science fiction movies are all set to hit the roads in Australia in just about few months' time. The first ever official trial of self-driving cars will take place this November in South Australia. The event will mark the beginning of an era that will see self driving cars taking control of the Australian roads.

In the initial testing, self driving Volvos would be made to run on closed sections of the highways at a speed of 100 kms/hour, which will allow the car makers, researchers and legislators of the country to get a clear understanding of the vehicles. The trial is being led by the road researchers of ARRB Group, which is a technical advisory organisation.

Managing Director Gerard Waldron told AAP -- an independant news provider that over the time the technicalities will be developed to a stage where the trials will be more adventurous. He also said that these trials are organised to see how a particular type of vehicle performs on the roads of Australia rather than how the vehicles are themselves.

Google in recent times has hit the headlines across the globe along with other companies with their ventures into the driverless prototypes. But when it comes to Australia it is needed to be determined which car type would suit its road environment the best.

The ARRB Group has earned considerable experience in giving guidance to governments on road issues and transport systems. MD Gerard Waldron predicts that in near future Australians would mainly be dependent on driverless cars and ‘mobility plans’ would largely be in place, in which people will be picked up by automated cars when and where they wish.

“There is a whole generation coming through now who aren't as focused on getting a driver's licence as my generation was,” he said. “At the moment, there is a fair bit of scepticism about where it can happen, despite the fact that the Google car is moving among traffic in the U.S.”

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