Japan PM Abe rides around Tokyo in self-driving vehicles
9 Nov AFP
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took a ride in several
self-driving vehicles on the public roads in the capital on Saturday,
showcasing the technology ahead of Tokyo Motor Show.
Abe tried auto-piloting vehicles from Toyota, Honda, and Nissan on
the roads around Japan's National Diet Building, as major international
automakers compete with likes of Google and other IT firms to develop
new types of cars with the goal of helping to reduce accidents by
eradicating human error.
"I felt with my body that the Japanese technology is the world's
best," Abe told reporters after riding the vehicles.
It was the first time that auto-piloting vehicles have run on
ordinary roads in Japan. Automakers have previously tested self-driving
vehicles on highways that offer better driving conditions, and no
pedestrians.
The Tokyo Motor Show, slated for later this month, will feature the
self-driving technologies, as well as electric vehicles and other
models.
Abe has pledged to help advance auto-piloting technology as part of
his economic policy, in addition to measures encouraging various
technological innovations, investments and to attract foreign talents to
work in Japan.
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