It seems like it has been a while since we’ve gotten any major news about autonomous vehicles, but all that is about to change. Volvo->ke188 is planning to launch a new experiment in which people will test autonomous cars->ke5282 on public roads in everyday driving conditions. The interesting thing is that Volvo is looking to start this experiment in China.

Apparently, the experiment will involve up to 100 cars that will be supplied by Volvo, assuming negotiations go well with select cities in China. If everything works out, local drivers in select cities will be able to ride around in the autonomous cars while data is collected. For now, it is just a plan, but in the coming months, Volvo is hoping to negotiate to get the necessary permission, regulations, and infrastructure for the experiments to take place. China has already made some pretty impressive strides in autonomous technology,->ke1701 but Volvo’s President and Chief Executive of Volvo, Hakan Samuelsson, wants to encourage China to do more to speed up the implementation of regulations that will oversee autonomous cars.

In fact, Samuelsson believes governments should step up and provide help to the auto industry in speeding up the process. In a recent press release, he said, “The sooner AD cars are on the roads, the sooner lives will start being saved. There are multiple benefits to AD cars, and that is why governments need to put in place the legislation to allow AD cars onto the streets as soon as possible. The car industry cannot do it all by itself. We need governmental help.”

It's really no surprise to see Volvo stepping up and pushing the issue now. As you can probably recall, autonomous cars are a huge part of the brand's commitment to nobody being seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo by 2020. For now, autonomous cars are still a long way off, but if it keeps getting pushed as Volvo is doing now, eventually the laws and regulations will be put into place. Let’s just hope it doesn’t happen before the technology is ready.

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Why it matters

I understand the fact that autonomous cars could, in fact, be safer in some instances. But, there is one thing that everybody is forgetting. Our current technology limits what can be processed, which is why autonomous cars aren’t in use now. At this time, technology cannot compete with the reasoning and gut reaction of the human mind, and until it can there will be flaws. Just look at the recent situation with the self-driving Google car. It made an assumption, and that assumption resulted in an accident. Now, I’ll be fair and say that nobody was injured, and it was a low-speed incident, but it was still an accident nonetheless.

Outside of the limitations of current technology, I see another problem here. With the way Mr. Samuelsson is talking, it comes off like he is expecting autonomous cars to take over driving altogether. I have to say, I completely disagree. We’re a long way off from having fully autonomous cars, but even still, I don’t see myself ever giving up my ability to control a vehicle ever. Optional autopilot is one thing, but preventing humans from driving their own cars is not something I’m willing to give up anytime soon. I have a feeling there are a lot of others that feel the same way. What do you think? Will you be okay with never piloting a car again, or will you refuse to give up control?

Volvo XC90

Read our full review on the Volvo XC90 here.