The Netherlands will be the first country in Europe to conduct trials with self-driving trucks. This honour belongs to truck manufacturer Scania, which will test self-driving trucks on public roads near Zwolle. Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen announced that Scania has permission to go on public roads.
According to daily newspaper De Stentor, the trial will start on 9 February. The tests should show how the trucks behave towards each other and traffic on the road.
Several trials planned
Manufacturers of self-driving vehicles must obtain permission from the Dutch Road Transport Agency to conduct trials on public roads. Such trials have not yet been carried out in Europe. However, trials involving passenger cars were conducted in Amsterdam last year. It is expected that trials with self-driving vehicles will take place in several locations across the country from this summer onwards.
Road safety
The technology behind self-driving cars is designed to reduce the number of road accidents. The vehicles automatically slow down when the vehicle in front does so; they communicate with the road and adjust their speed in response to slippery conditions. However, one risk at present is that self-driving vehicles and ordinary traffic are using the road at the same time.
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