Australia’s first self-driving vehicle has been revealed by the Andrews Labor Government, Bosch, the Transport Accident Commission and VicRoads.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan inspected the new vehicle and met with Melbourne-based Bosch engineers who have been working for 12 months developing the car.

The $1.2 million investment has helped Bosch develop the self-driving vehicle at its Australian headquarters in Clayton. The car has been designed to navigate roads with or without driver input and includes technology to detect and avoid hazards such as pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles.

Trials will take place to inform the development of regulations and infrastructure to enable similar self-driving cars to operate on Victorian roads when they become commercially available.

The trial will also help VicRoads better understand how motorists use self-driving vehicles and the changes needed to prepare for the future.

Traffic management experts and urban planners will get a better understanding of the need to reconfigure road networks and traffic signals to optimise safety and the flow of vehicles across the network.

The vehicle gathers information from inbuilt sensors and cameras to build a complete picture of its surroundings in order to navigate the road safely.

Luke Donnellan said: “By removing human error from the equation, self-driving vehicles will play a critical role in reducing deaths and serious injuries on Victorian roads.

“This self-driving car is at the forefront of automated vehicle technology and it’s been developed right here in Melbourne by local engineers.

“The Andrews Labor Government is investing in innovative technology and emerging industries that will generate local jobs for the future.”

Main photo caption: TAC CEO Joe Calaifore with Minister for Roads and TAC Chairman John Walter (photo courtesy of TAC)