Self-driving cars set to hit SA roadblock
Poor state of highway infrastructure likely to delay introduction of autonomous vehicles
Will South Africans in 2027 be sipping coffee and reading the news as they make their way to work in self-driving cars? Probably not. Autonomous vehicles and electric cars have sprung from film and landed in reality, with the automotive industry developing more practical ways for these innovations to become part of daily life. But every market has unique circumstances which must be considered. In South Africa these include poor road conditions, meaning that full-fledged autonomous vehicles are unlikely to be introduced here any time soon, according to Toyota South Africa CEO Andrew Kirby. "We have a lot of cars in South Africa already at autonomous level one and two, where they can steer themselves, keep in a lane and accelerate and brake in an emergency situation. But when you get past that you need a lot of investment in infrastructure," Kirby said this week. This includes real-time 3D mapping, road infrastructure like clear road markings that can communicate with vehicles, and ve...
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