Google starts road tests of new self-driving car prototypes

World Nespapers - Actualidad breaking news

(Reuters) - Google Inc said on Thursday it had started testing the latest prototypes of its self-driving cars on Mountain View, California roads, with safety drivers aboard.<P>The prototypes will join Google's Lexus cars, which use the same self-driving software, the company said in a blog post on Thursday. (bit.ly/1GKVqur). Google's self-driving Lexus RX450h sport utility vehicles have been in operation for several years.<P>Although the prototypes are designed to work without a steering wheel or pedals, safety drivers will have a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedal and brake pedal during the test phase in case they need to take over driving.<P>Earlier this month, Google launched a website specifically for the self-driving car. That came after increasing criticism by customers and consumer groups that the search giant was not providing enough information about the project.<P>Google has so far reported 12 accidents involving the prototypes. Injuries have been minor, the search giant has said, and accidents were mostly a result of human error by the drivers of the other cars involved. (Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb; Editing by Alan Crosby)

9 hours ago|