Google has their self-driving car (that you can see above) project, while BMW too, has experimented with their own version, with Volvo looking at a “Drive Me” self-driving car program. Now, the Dutch do seem to want to jump on board with the idea of self-driving trucks, where initial tests will be carried out on a closed track before it is followed up on public roads prior to arriving at a decision to make it mainstream.
Driving a truck is not easy, especially if you have to spend long hours behind the wheel each day, so to have a self-driving truck might see some people lose their jobs, but at least it might make our roads safer – assuming the algorithm and program works as smooth as clockwork, that is.
These self-driving trucks will most probably begin their “career” by delivering goods from Rotterdam, which is Europe’s largest port, all the way to the other Dutch cities. It is projected that the project will take at least five more years of research, testing and development before it can kick off formally.
Right now, the Netherlands are reviewing traffic laws in order to make large-scale testing of such technology possible when it comes to public roads. Starting from computer simulations, the tests would gradually move to a closed track before making its way to public roads.
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