Google’s Self-Driving Cars Pass 300,000 Mile Test Without An Accident

Sites include Google.com . Published on August 27th, 2012. Written by Anthony West.

Leave it to Google to come up with something that works flawlessly—so far at least. The search engine giant started development of its ‘self-driving’ car many moons ago it seems but thanks to a bit of dedication and millions of dollars, the car is now clocking mile after mile.

To date the self-driving car has gone 300,000 miles without an accident, a feat Google is very happy to talk up. The company said in a blog post that, “Our vehicles, of which about a dozen are on the road at any given time, have now completed more than 300,000 miles of testing. They’ve covered a wide range of traffic conditions, and there hasn’t been a single accident under computer control.”

The fact that the car has had no accidents so far is good news but Google isn’t resting on its laurels. The company acknowledges that the project still has a far way to go: “We’re encouraged by this progress, but there’s still a long road ahead. To provide the best experience we can, we’ll need to master snow-covered roadways, interpret temporary construction signals and handle other tricky situations that many drivers encounter. As a next step, members of the self-driving car team will soon start using the cars solo (rather than in pairs), for things like commuting to work.”

Between the Google Glasses and this self-driving car project, Google has proven that it is committed to being one of the leaders in new technology and innovation.