Self-driving cars got the green light to travel more than 70 miles of Northern Virginia highways.
These highways include some of the most congested roads in the country, which will be a tough test for autonomous vehicles. Virginia is joining other states such as California, Michigan, Florida, Nevada and Washington D.C. in allowing self-driving car testing. It will, however, try to make it easier than other states.
"Other states are saying you need to prove that independently you can do all this testing. What we are trying to do is show them how to do the testing and how to facilitate the process as well," said Myra Blanco, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute's Center for Automated Vehicle Systems, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
"I think this is going to help us advance the technology and even more important, to attract companies and satellite offices in the Northern Virginia area to develop these new concepts."
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) will oversee the research on parts of Interstates 95, 495 and 66, and on Virginia Automated Corridors U.S. 29 and U.S. 50. Certifying the technology as safe before the cars hit the road is mandatory, and it will be carried out at the institute's Smart Road in Montgomery County and the Virginia International Raceway in Halifax County.
For safety reasons, autonomous vehicles still require a human driver behind the wheel, just in case the vehicle's system fails. With this newly approved road space for testing self-driving cars, the institute expects various automakers to jump on board within the year.
The VTTI will provide license plates and insurance for any vehicle that passes the initial trial on its smart roads. The Virginia Department of Transportation, meanwhile, could be responsible for ensuring lane markings are visible.
Considering how congested these Northern Virginia highways are, self-driving cars will face a tough test that will give a glimpse into how autonomous vehicles are able to handle busy roads. Self-driving car makers such as Google and others will have to boost their efforts in updating information, including construction, traffic jams and traffic incidents.
Nokia's HERE maps division is also working on 3D mapping technology for the rest of the roads, aiming to push real-time data to the autonomous vehicle and help it recognize lane position.
Blanco noted that autonomous vehicles should have a big impact on daily life and solve some issues such as mobility for disabled or elderly drivers, by assisting drivers in dangerous conditions and even take control when necessary.
