Recently, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute demonstrated its automated vehicle technology on the I-95 Express Lanes in Virginia.
According to officials at the institute and an administrator at the U.S. Department of Transportation, it is the first time that driverless technology this advanced has been tested on a highway.
The demonstration was highly controlled because it took place at midday when the Express Lanes were empty, and there was no rush in either direction.
The Virginia Tech technology includes features like automatically shifting lanes to the right during the simulation when a state police trooper approached with sirens. The car also slowed down as it approached a simulated work zone and traffic stop.
“The specially modified Cadillac SRX wasn’t driverless. Virginia law requires a driver behind the wheel, and the technology still requires a driver to be ready to take over if necessary,” Phys.org added.
