- Published:
- Thursday 10 August 2017
An automated vehicle trial is underway on the Monash-CityLink-Tullamarine corridor to help Victoria prepare for the future of driverless vehicles.
The Andrews Labor Government is partnering with VicRoads, RACV and Transurban, to trial connected and automated vehicles from manufacturers BMW, Mercedes, Tesla and Volvo.
The study will look at how to prepare road infrastructure, regulations and the community for the integration of this new technology into our transport system.
This first phase of the program will examine how features like lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition, respond to the road environment including tunnels, road works, congestion, electronic speed signs and line markings.
The vehicles involved in the trial comply with existing Australian Design Rules and road safety regulations and will have professional drivers who will be holding the steering wheel at all times when conducting trials in live traffic.
Automated vehicles have enormous potential to make our journeys safer and more efficient, and to help the community travel with more ease, including people with limited mobility.
Automated vehicles are an important step to reducing road trauma, with human error contributing to more than 90 per cent of crashes.
Phase one of the trial will be complete later this year. The complete trial program will take two years and consists of three phases.
Quote attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan
“Victoria is at the forefront of automated vehicle technology – we’re investing in this trial to explore ways that this technology can be used to reduce crashes and keep people safe on our roads.”
Quote attributable to VicRoads CEO John Merritt
“This technology is moving at a rapid pace, and we want to ensure our roads and the community are ready for these changes.”
Quote attributable to RACV General Manager Public Policy Brian Negus
“We want to get a clear understanding for our members of the potential safety improvements offered by automated vehicles; how the technology works and what the implications are for the community.”
Quote attributable to Transurban Group General Manager Strategy Wes Ballantine
“Automated vehicles will revolutionise how we move around our communities and deliver safer, smoother traffic flow.”