Self-driving cars could be on our roads in just 5 years. USA TODAY's Chris Woodyard takes a look at what it's going to take to get the roads ready. Self-driving vehicles are synonymous with sophisticated sensors producing terabytes of data being analyzed by powerful computers. But it seems the success of this transportation revolution hinges on a decidedly low-tech material: Paint. That's because when it comes to getting the nation's infrastructure ready for autonomous traffic, the most critical upgrade amounts to making sure the lines on our 4 million miles of roads are solid, bright and preferably white so they can be picked up by computer vision gear. "The (self-driving car companies) actually said make sure you have really good paint lines," says Kirk Steudle, director of Michigan's Department of Transportation.

Ohio's toll road, a heavily traveled connector between the East Coast and Chicago, is moving closer to allowing the testing of self-driving vehicles. Testing is likely to begin within 12 months, and possibly before the end of the year, the Ohio Turnpike's executive director told The Associated Press. Officials overseeing the roadway have spent more than a year looking at the possibilities, said Randy Cole, the turnpike's director. Vehicles drive along the Ohio Turnpike in Strongsville, Ohio: Officials plan to allow self driving cars to use the route before the end of the year in a bid to teach them how to drive in bad weather. As autonomous vehicle technology improves, it's easy to imagine a world where these vehicles have no need for a human operator which would have a huge impact on those who driving for a living.

FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2011, file photo, vehicles drive along the Ohio Turnpike in Strongsville, Ohio. Ohio Turnpike Executive Director Randy Cole tells The Associated Press that testing of self-driving vehicles could begin on the toll road in late 2016 or in 2017. Cole says the route that takes Interstate 80 from Pennsylvania to Indiana is set up well for testing autonomous vehicles because it already has a fiber network along the entire roadway.