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Virginia to Test Self-Driving Cars on I-95 and I-495

Self-Driving Car
creative commons
Self-Driving Car

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The state of Virginia is moving forward with testing the possibility of allowing autonomous, or self-driving, cars on express lanes of Interstates 95 and 495 in northern Virginia.

WTOP-FM reports Virginia's transportation board is set to approve an agreement on Wednesday that would permit new testing to move forward. The deal involves the state Department of Transportation, the company operating express lanes, and the Federal Highway Administration's Operations Research and Development office.

Tests would focus on whether autonomous vehicles could communicate with each other and successfully run in the same lanes as regular traffic.

The tests would also determine what wireless communication tools may be needed to keep the self-driving vehicles on track.

Some tests would require express lanes to be closed, others could be conducted during "light traffic conditions."

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.