Volvo eyes NSW for trials

Volvo says that if road laws in New South Wales are changed, autonomous cars could go on sale in the state within five years. The Swedish automaker is currently conducting research into self-driving technology and is calling on the government in NSW to implement a trial in Sydney before 2021 as part of a strategy to reduce traffic congestion in the city. Volvo says it has developed autonomous technology that can be safely applied to roads such as Sydney’s M5 and M7. Kevin McCann, Volvo Car Australia managing director, says that should the legislation be finalised in time, self-driving cars could be in showrooms by 2021. “Sydney is Australia’s largest city with the most traffic, so it makes sense for the state government and transport agencies to start planning now for the technology that could be on our roads by 2021.” Should the government allow the technology on the roads, cars would start with more straight-forward roads, with more complex routes being added as technology advances. However, McCann says that Sydney already has roads that would suit the technology in its current state, such as the M5, M7, M2 and M1. “This would pave the way for changes to road laws prior to self-driving cars going on sale in NSW. This is possible within five years if local roads laws are changed to accommodate the cars.” Gerard Waldron, managing director of the Australian Road Research Board, says that Australia is well placed to pass legislation allowing driverless cars. “There are opportunities for us to get our act together quite quickly and therefore be a good place for the vehicle industry to trial their products.” Last year, the South Australian government conducted the country’s first successful driverless car demonstration, in a Volvo XC90 driving without human intervention along a section of the Southern Highway. While the road was closed to the public for the demonstration, the closure was a precautionary measure as the state government had passed legislation allowing for the test before the event.