Self-driving car convoy takes on Dutch highway in March

A convoy of more than 50 self-driving cars from various brands will be tested on the A2 highway between Amsterdam and Beesd on March 16th, during the day and in between normal traffic. This will be the first major exemption free test with self driving vehicles on public roads in Europe, according to risk management and insurance firm AON who is organizing the test. The cars, from manufacturers BMW, Hyunday, Mercedes, Tesla, Toyota and Volvo, among others, will drive in trains of five or six. They will determine their own speed and following distance. The goal for the test is to assess the benefits and risks of self-driving cars. "Technically speaking, self-driving cars can already be set on the road scene in 'dedicated lanes' on highways", Evert-Jeen van der Meer, Industry Director Automotive at AON, said in the company's press release. "The last obstacles are mainly in the field of European legislation and (privacy) regulation. Who is responsible and the insurability is increasingly becoming clearer. It is crucial to resolve the outstanding issues first." The current generation of self-driving cars already takes over many of the driver's functions, including driving in traffic, catching up automatically and automatic parking. This test will focus on determining whether the use of Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot contributes to a better traffic flow and safer driving experience.