Tokyo: In the face of a serious shortage of drivers in the logistics industry, Japan's government and commercial vehicle makers are accelerating experiments aimed at putting self-driving trucks into practical use. They are aiming to attain so-called Level 4 autonomous driving, or driving without human intervention under certain conditions. In addition to carrying out the trials, they will also make efforts to gain the public's understanding of self-driving trucks to ease concerns.

According to Philippines News Agency, autonomous driving for large vehicles carries a risk of being "rejected by the public with a single accident," as noted by a senior official of a commercial vehicle maker. Isuzu Motors Ltd. Senior Executive Officer Hiroshi Sato emphasized their goal to achieve a driving level on par with or exceeding that of a careful driver. This statement was made to reporters on Nov. 18 in the town of Mukawa in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido, where a test run by a large self-driving truck was shown to the media.

The experiment was conducted on an approximately five-kilometer test course, where the truck autonomously managed tasks such as changing lanes, overtaking other vehicles, smoothly accelerating at the start, and decelerating when coming to a halt. During the test, the driver was seated but did not touch the steering wheel or the brakes.