Netherlands to begin large-scale testing of autonomous cars

The Dutch government has given its approval to large-scale testing of autonomous cars on roads in the Netherlands, saying the technology could reduce congestion and smooth traffic flow. The cabinet has agreed to adjust road rules, which will enable the Dutch transport authority, RDW, to grant permission for testing. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Netherlands has become a test-bed for autonomous vehicles, although until now tests have largely been carried out at priv
January 26, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The Dutch government has given its approval to large-scale testing of autonomous cars on roads in the Netherlands, saying the technology could reduce congestion and smooth traffic flow.

The cabinet has agreed to adjust road rules, which will enable the Dutch transport authority, RDW, to grant permission for testing.

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Netherlands has become a test-bed for autonomous vehicles, although until now tests have largely been carried out at private facilities.

The Netherlands is known for its traffic jams; some 2.5 million drivers in a country of 17 million take to the roads during the rush hour each day, according to the central statistics office's latest figures. The government believes self-driving cars could change that.

“Autonomous vehicles can drive more closely together, utilising available road space more efficiently. Communicating with each other and simultaneously accelerating or braking to ensure a smoother flow of traffic makes a positive contribution to road safety and fuel efficiency,” according to the statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment.
Location Based Systems

Related Content

  • Countering congestion’s cost
    May 6, 2015
    A new report on the economic costs of traffic congestion predicts the problem will worsen significantly in future. Jon Masters reviews the figures and some suggested solutions. New figures on the rising economic and environmental costs of congestion have been published by the US traffic data specialist Inrix and the UK’s Centre for Economics & Business Research (Cebr). Their report finds the problem much bigger than previously thought.
    Read More
  • IRD's on-the-go tyre check adjusts for inflation
    November 16, 2021
    As many as 84 million vehicles worldwide may have tyres which are improperly inflated or in poor condition, which has a significant effect on road safety - and also on the environment
    Read More
  • Study forecasts growth of self-driving cars
    January 7, 2014
    In its latest study, “Emerging Technologies: Autonomous cars—not if, but when,”, IHS Automotive forecasts total worldwide sales of self-driving cars (SDC) will grow from nearly 230 thousand in 2025 to 11.8 million in 2035 – seven million SDCs with both driver control and autonomous control and 4.8 million that have only autonomous control. In all, there should be nearly 54 million self-driving cars in use globally by 2035. The study anticipates that nearly all of the vehicles in use are likely to be self
    Read More
  • Autonomous vehicles, smart cities: moving beyond the hype
    February 21, 2018
    There is a lot of excited chatter about autonomous vehicles – but 2getthere’s Robbert Lohmann suggests we might need to take a step back and look realistically at what is achievable. You might be surprised that the chief commercial officer of a company delivering autonomous vehicles would begin an article with the suggestion that we need to get past the hype. And yet I do; because we have to, and urgently so. The hype prevents the development of autonomous vehicles that address actual transit needs. And
    Read More

Highlighted Content