Self-driving cars to be allowed on Ontario's roads, under certain conditions

WATERLOO, Ont. -- Ontario will allow testing of self-driving cars on provincial roads starting next year, but only with a human operator who can take over in case of problems.

The government says the pilot project will allow companies to conduct research and development in Ontario, and help bring automated vehicles to market.

The self-driving vehicles are capable of detecting the surrounding environment using artificial intelligence, sensors and global positioning systems.

The government says automated and connected-vehicle technologies can improve fuel efficiency and help reduce traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and driver distraction.

Toyota announced last week that it hopes to have a self-driving car on the road in Japan by 2020.

• 

  Steven Del Duca, Ontario's minister of transportation, speaks about autonomous vehicles at the University of Waterloo on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015. (Brian Dunseith / CTV Kitchener)

• 

  A row of Google self-driving cars are lined up outside the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. (AP / Eric Risberg)

• 

  Michael Skupien and Alex Rodrigues of Varden Labs take their self-driving vehicle on a test run at the University of Waterloo on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. (Max Wark / CTV Kitchener)