Japan Plans To Set Up New Highway Lanes For Autonomous Trucks

Japan announces its plan to construct a specified highway lane for autonomous trucks. This involves the highway stretches from Tokyo to Nagoya with a fully secure and reliable way to separate from other traffic. 

Meant to operate only at night, the 100-KM highway lane works in tandem along the Shin-Tomei Expressway division available in between Numazu and Hamamatsu city.  Aside from that, this division offers three lanes on each side and is equipped with long straight length sections that seems to be an ideal spot to operate autonomously for trucks. 

As reported, the highway project is scheduled to complete and ready to operate by 2024. From there, the necessities to finish the project requires sensors and cameras to be installed at regular intervals along the entire route connected in 5G for real time data transfer without any delays. 

Through this way, other than obstacles will be detected approaching vehicles, it may automatically slow down vehicles including stop if involved in accidents or sense any risky collisions. 

Photo credits to Aurora Horizon

The Japanese media outlet further said that a similar project is also being implemented in Michigan, United States which currently a trial run will be conducted soon. However, it measures shorter than the one in Japan as it stretches 60 KM length and also will be fitted with optimal interconnectivity for autonomous vehicles. 

However, there's no news shared whether the lane will also be open to human-driven vehicles. Also, another reputable source online indicates the momentum in the deployment of self-driving tech in Japan went through delay due to the lack of legal clarity on advanced automation levels including the lack of necessary road infrastructure.