This year, autonomous vehicle technology will be tested in rural areas of Victoria, Australia, thanks to the first on-road trial approved under the new Automated Driving System (ADS) permit scheme.

Bosch, which is currently developing autonomous vehicle technology, has been awarded $2.3 million from the Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Trial Grants Program. The company has also been granted the state’s first ADS permit for on-road testing of highly automated driving systems.

“Victoria is leading the nation in the future of on-road technology and this trial is an exciting step towards driverless vehicles hitting the road,” says Acting Premier Jacinta Allan.

Last year, Victoria finalized regulations to support the ADS permit scheme, which authorizes the use of automated vehicles for testing and development on the state’s roads.

Bosch is expected to begin testing its technology on high-speed rural roads later this year. The goal of the trial is to use Bosch’s technology to improve safety on rural Victorian roads, where drivers are five times as likely to be killed in a crash than in metropolitan areas.

“The tragic fact is that you’re five times as likely to be killed on a rural road than in the city. That’s why we’re rolling out a record roads investment in rural Victoria – and this is another way we can improve safety and save lives,” Allan explains.

Testing will be conducted on roads that expose the autonomous vehicle to a variety of different conditions including traffic, weather and infrastructure.

The $9 million Connected and Automated Vehicle Trial Grants Program is funded through the Andrews Labor Government’s $1.4 billion Towards Zero Action Plan.