Microsoft and MIT have partnered on a project to fix so-called virtual'blind spots' which lead driverless cars to make errors. Roads, especially while shared with human drivers, are unpredictable places. Training a self-driving car for every possible situation is a monumental task. The AI developed by Microsoft and MIT compares the action taken by humans in a given scenario to what the driverless car's own AI would do. Where the human decision is more optimal, the vehicle's behaviour is updated for similar future occurrences.

Victoria has sanctioned a trial of driverless cars on rural roads in a bid to improve the dramatically more dangerous conditions outside urban areas. People are five times more likely to be killed on a Victorian country road than in the city. The automated vehicle technology is being developed by Bosch as part of a $2.3m state government grant and will be tested on high-speed rural roads later this year. "This trial is an exciting step towards driverless vehicles hitting the road," the acting premier, Jacinta Allan, said. Bosch has been granted the state's first permit to allow automated vehicles for on-road testing, with other successful applicants to be announced soon.

Driverless vehicles will face a'testing' 200-mile (320km) journey across the UK next year. The autonomous cars will have to contend with challenges such as winding country lanes, motorways and roundabouts, in an effort to test their systems. The nationwide test, dubbed HumanDrive initiative, is designed to put the computer-controlled cars through their paces in'live traffic and natural conditions'. The HumanDrive initiative hopes to put the computer controlled cars through their paces in'live traffic and natural conditions' on a 200-mile (320 km) road test of the driverless cars The UK wants to get driverless cars on the road by 2021. However, British roads present a number of unique challenges that autonomous driving systems are unlikely to be prepared for after testing in the United States.

If you had to invent the perfect place to roll out self-driving buses, Japan would be it. The country boasts an immaculate and extensive road network. Much of the aging population relies on public transport, especially in the countryside, to get around. And that customer base is shrinking; fewer passengers equals less fares. As a result, only a third of the country's bus companies are profitable, forcing regional governments to step in to support them.

If you had to invent the perfect place to roll out self-driving buses, Japan would be it. The country boasts an immaculate and extensive road network. Much of the aging population relies on public transport to get around, especially in the countryside. And that customer base is shrinking, bringing in less fares. As a result, only a third of the country's bus companies are profitable, forcing regional governments to step in to support them.

The unmistakable glare of car headlights cutting through the darkness on roads at night could soon vanish thanks to new self-driving technology. Car giant Ford has revealed it is testing the ability of its autonomous vehicles to navigate in pitch black conditions without any headlights. The cars use laser sensing technology, called LiDAR, to map the vehicles' surroundings with infrared light, allowing them to steer along even the most winding country roads. Ford has tested its self-driving cars on winding country roads in pitch darkness to show that the vehicles can navigate at night without any headlights. Ford said it is essential its self-driving vehicles are able to stay on the road at times of the day when they are not able to use its camera technology as there is not enough light.