The self-driving car
The self-driving car: the next step
by Brian Dijkhuis
“Imagine if everyone could get around easily and safely, regardless of their ability to drive” - Google. For years, companies have been developing the self-driving car, of which one of the leading companies in this is Google. In Europe, these innovators have been testing their self-driving cars on their own properties. This is going to change according to the words of minister of infrastructure and environment, Melanie Schultz.
On Thursday the 14th of April, all the ministers of traffic will come together in Amsterdam to make concrete plans for the self-driving car. With this meeting the Minister is trying to stay a step in front of America. The WEpod (an autonomous bus) is already driving around in Wageningen as public transport, but the idea is to have more of these and self-driving cars driving around in Europe. Schultz wants to have the Netherlands as “test country” for autonomous cars. But to realise this she needs to have a sort of unity in Europe, because it would be really annoying if the self-driving car has to be reset whenever it passes the Dutch borders.
In addition to this, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, announced this week that Germany will make an official test track for self-driving and robot cars. Companies like BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler have the opportunity to give some suggestions for the test track. In this way the test track can be an optimal environment for companies to test their self-driving cars. With these new steps we are getting closer and closer to actually having self-driving cars ourselves. I wouldn’t be suprised if within 20 years, it would be legal to drive with a self-driving car on the highway, but for now it still remains sweet dreams.
