Self-Driving Cars Tested on UK Roads for the First Time

liverpoolecho.co.uk
March 8, 2017

Nissan is testing prototypes of its Leaf model in London
Nissan has started testing self-driving cars on UK roads for the first time.

The Japanese car manufacturer is testing prototypes of its Leaf model in London - using its enhanced autonomous driver technology.
Nissan is planning to clock up more than 300 miles on busy routes in London on the prototype vehicles as it aims to introduce a fully developed version by 2020.
The prototype has 12 cameras, five radars and six lasers, which allows helps the vehicle identify surrounding objects and recognize the vehicles position on the road to within centimeters.

Tetsuya Iijima, Nissan's global head of autonomous driving, conducted one of the vehicle tests and has warned the vehicles available in 2020 will have "some limitation.

Speaking to the Press Association, he said: "The reason we're focusing on autonomous driving technology is safety.
"Around 93% of accidents come from the driver. If a machine replaces human maneuvers 90% may be reduced. Safety enhancement is the first motivation.
"In scarcely-populated traffic the driver can be relaxed.
"We can explain to the customer, in that situation there's almost nothing you need to do.
"In this area (of east London) the driver needs to pay attention because the vehicle is not perfect."

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