The Netherlands will join 25 other EU countries in conducting large-scale tests with self-driving vehicles. These will include tests with truck platooning and vehicles driving on autopilot with each other via data communication.
The countries made these agreements during a meeting on Connected and self-driving vehicles, the central government reported in a press release. In urban and sparsely populated areas, the countries will cooperate for trials of self-driving vans and valet parking. The countries also want to work towards mutual recognition of exemptions for testing on public roads to make it easier for manufacturers and encourage innovations, as now each country has different exemption procedures that have to be gone through before a self-driving vehicle can go on public roads.
EU countries, including Germany, Sweden, Spain and Austria, have also agreed on proper data exchange between vehicles, traffic centres and the roadside (e.g. traffic lights). This mutual communication would provide a wealth of data on current road conditions.
During the meeting, member states also stressed the importance of brand-independent communication so that data can be exchanged smoothly between all vehicles. In response, the European car industry pledged to ensure that new cars can communicate with each other from 2019.
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Image: central government
