Driverless cars set to be on Victorian roads in 2018

KIERAN ROONEY
November 13, 2017
Herald Sun

UNMANNED driverless cars are set to make their way on to Victorian roads next year, with the Andrews Government to introduce new laws allowing for trials of autonomous vehicles.
Cabinet yesterday ticked off on the changes to the Road Safety Act and the legislation will be tabled in Parliament this week.
Testing of the world-leading technology has already begun on EastLink but the trials have not been truly driverless because current regulations require a driver have one hand on the wheel at all times.
Under the proposed changes, drivers will no longer have to touch the wheel of a car during testing and unmanned autonomous vehicles will also be allowed on Victorian roads as research continues.
The new laws will give VicRoads oversight of all trials and will establish responsibility in the event of accidents.
Up to 90 per cent of crashes on Victorian roads are attributed to human error.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the trials would be a welcome boost for the growing industry.
“Victoria is a world leader in automated vehicles and these important changes will allow Victorian researchers to run some of the safest and most ambitious trials being conducted anywhere in the world,” he said.
The legislation goes a step further than driverless laws introduced in South Australia and New South Wales and if passed will lead the nation by allowing unmanned autonomous cars to appear on Victorian roads.
Transport Accident Commission CEO Joe Calafiore said the trials were a significant step forward for road safety.
“Our vision is for a future free of deaths and serious injuries on our roads and technology such as this will be a big factor in making that a reality,” he said.