Google's Self Driving Cars to Hit the Road This Summer

This summer in Mountain View, California, expect to see Google's self-driving cars leave the test track to weave in and out of traffic for the very first time.

"This summer, a few of the prototype vehicles we've created will leave the test track and hit the familiar roads of Mountain View, Calif., with our safety drivers aboard," Google wrote in a blog post on Friday.

For each sample car, speed is capped at 25 miles per hour and people behind the wheel will have access to the steering wheel, accelerator pedal and brakes if need be--most likely to adhere to regulation standards. Google has tested out the self-driving technology through software in the Lexus RX450h SUVs that have been tested on public roads, notes NBC. Director Chris Urmson and system engineer Jaime Waydo are featured in the "Ready for the Road" YouTube video which further explains the goals and technologies of Google Cars.

"When we started designing the world's first fully self-driving vehicle, our goal was a vehicle that could shoulder the entire burden of driving. Vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button could transform mobility for millions of people, whether by reducing the 94 percent of accidents caused by human error, reclaiming the billions of hours wasted in traffic, or bringing everyday destinations and new opportunities within reach of those who might otherwise be excluded by their inability to drive a car," reads the blog post.

Google defended the self-driving car program on Monday after the Associated Press stated that four Google cars were in car accidents. Google refuted the statement by explaining that the driverless automobiles have been in 11 minor car accidents over the past few years and that each incident was the fault of the opposite vehicle.

"We're looking forward to learning how the community perceives and interacts with the vehicles, and to uncovering challenges that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle-e.g., where it should stop if it can't stop at its exact destination due to construction or congestion. In the coming years, we'd like to run small pilot programs with our prototypes to learn what people would like to do with vehicles like this," Google added.

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