Swedish car maker Volvo have announced plans to carry out a self-driving trial in China. The plan is for local drivers to test autonomous cars in real world conditions on public roads. The trial is said to include 100 cars and Volvo will approach Chinese cities to get the necessary permissions.
Volvo, who are well know for setting a high stand in car safety, believe that autonomous technology can reduce congestion and also reduce the rate of car accidents. Autonomous cars allow traffic to move more freely, therefore reducing traffic, which could be vital for busy cities such as Beijing. Research shows that 90% of accidents are down to driver error so the belief is that driver-less cars will do away with that statistic.
“Autonomous driving can make a significant contribution to road safety,” Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo will tell a seminar in Beijing on April 7 entitled 'Autonomous driving – could China take the lead?'. “The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved.”
“AD is not just about car technology. We need the right rules and the right laws,” Mr Samuelsson will say.
“It is natural for us to work together,” Mr Samuelsson will say. “
Our starting point is that both the public and private sectors stand to benefit from new technologies and industries, so it is better to build bridges and work together than to all go in different directions.”