Flemish Minister for Mobility Annick De Ridder has authorised self-driving Teslas on public roads. The approval applies to all Belgian roads, Belga News Agency reports.
Tests with the self-driving Teslas only began last month. The system in question is the FSD system, which allows the car to steer itself, stay within its lane and change lanes. The driver must be able to intervene at any time and remains responsible.
The technology had previously been approved in the Netherlands. "The Dutch approval was preceded by an intensive testing period. So we didn't have to start from scratch," De Ridder said.
"Thanks to the smooth cooperation of our Dutch colleagues at the RDW (Rijksdienst voor Wegverkeer), we had access to all their test data, and a shortened test period was sufficient to assess the differences in road infrastructure and traffic regulations between the Netherlands and Belgium."
The minister added that the system can contribute to road safety. "After all, it exhibits a defensive driving style and can react more quickly and consistently than human drivers in certain situations," said the minister.
