SA flags autonomous future

The local introduction of autonomous vehicles has taken another step forward, with South Australia's State Government announcing it is set to roll out legislation paving the way for on-road trials of the technology.

SA's Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Stephen Mullighan, will this week introduce a bill to allow driverless cars to be tested on the state's roads, putting South Australia at the forefront of an industry projected to be worth $90 billion in 15 years.

The Motor Vehicles (Trials of Automotive Technologies) Amendment Bill will provide exemptions for driverless cars to allow them to be tested under 'real life' conditions.

Mr Mullighan said the bill would position South Australia at the leading edge of the technology's local introduction.

"We are on the cusp of the biggest advance in motoring since the since the Model T opened up car ownership to the masses," he said.

"South Australia is now positioned to become a key player in this emerging industry and by leading the charge, we are opening up countless new opportunities for our businesses and our economy."

The Minister said the legislation would contain strict safeguards to ensure the public's safety, with companies trialling the technology to submit detailed plans and have sufficient insurances. They would also be subjected to penalties for contravening road laws outside of the scope of the trial.

"It is critical that the public has confidence that these trials will operate safely on our roads," he said.

Mr Mullighan said the bill would lay the groundwork for local businesses working in the sphere to prosper – businesses like SA-based Cohda Wireless, whose technology is used extensively in Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) field trials around the globe.

Paul Gray from Cohda Wireless welcomed the announcement.

"As a global supplier of Connected and Autonomous Sensors, Cohda is pleased to have the opportunity to test our products on SA roads," he said.

Once the stuff of science fiction, autonomous vehicle technology has progressed rapidly in recent years.

Some production cars are already fitted with foundation autonomous technologies such as radar cruise control, dynamic lane-keeping assistance and autonomous emergency braking, while in the truck world Daimler's autonomous truck program is well underway.

Daimler demonstrated an autonomous Mercedes-Benz truck on a German autobahn last year, while earlier this year sibling brand Freightliner demonstrated its autonomous 'Inspiration' truck on a Nevada highway (pictured).

That trial made history, with the US state being the first to pass laws allowing for on-road registration of an autonomous truck.

While the Government hasn't put a timeline on when the first open trials may commence, Adelaide will host the International Driverless Cars Conference on November 5 and 6, with closed trials of driverless cars to be held on a section of the Southern Expressway.