White House Pledges $4b to Developing Self-Driving Cars

The Obama Administration has pledged to invest nearly $4 billion to accelerate the development of self-driving cars, and related infrastructure, in the US. The White House plans to support the burgeoning automated vehicle industry – which includes Google’s own endeavour (pictured above) –  over the next ten years, according to NBC News.

“Automated vehicles open up possibilities for saving lives, saving time and saving fuel,” Anthony Foxx, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, said at a press conference at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

President Obama will formally reveal the plan on Tuesday, during his State of the Union address, as part of a program to build a “21st century transportation system.” The federal government hopes to present a “model state policy” on self-driving cars within the next six months to offer “a path to consistent national policy,” a White House press release says.

The $3.9 billion investment from the government will be used to develop pilot programs to test “connected vehicle systems” across the United States, with the hope that it will make travelling a safer and more efficient experience.

“We know that 83 percent of car accidents are due to human error,” Foxx added. “What happens if human error could be eliminated? That’s a powerful possibility, and that’s a possibility worth pursuing.”