Japan accelerates self-driving truck tests

A driver takes his hands off the wheel of an Isuzu self-driving truck during a test run in Mukawa, Hokkaido, on Nov. 18. 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 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 for self-driving trucks to ease concerns. Autonomous driving for large vehicles carries a risk of being rejected by the public with a single accident, a senior official of a commercial vehicle-maker said. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.