This year has already seen many significant milestones on the journey towards driverless cars on our roads. 
As reported in WestWHEELS recently, Daimler has been conducting real-world testing of autonomous trucks in the American desert, while the University of Michigan built an entire fake town just so its driverless cars can zip about without fear of pesky humans getting in the way.
But this past week has seen some even more interesting developments. 
On Friday, four Peugeot Citroen vehicles arrived in Bordeaux, France, having completed a 580km journey from Paris in autonomous mode. 
The vehicles independently took heed of differing speed limits, other vehicles and the like to adjust their speed and change lanes to overtake on motorways.
 The journey made by our prototype today proves that autonomous vehicles are no longer a matter of science fiction,  PSA Peugeot Citroen chairman Carlos Tavares said.
 This ushers in a new era for mobility, which I find truly exciting. 
Meanwhile, Japan is readying its own autonomous car-testing program: using driverless cars to ferry about its elderly.
Beginning next year, roughly 50 people will be able to catch Robot Taxi Inc autonomous taxis on short trips of a few kilometres at at a time. 
Don t fret, a (human) Robot Taxi specialist will be on hand to take over should the taxi decide to misbehave.
The company is dreaming big, hoping to have a fleet up and running by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. 
And Australia is also set to be among the forefront of the seemingly inevitable driverless- car revolution. 
South Australian Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan recently introduced a bill to allow trials of autonomous vehicles on public roads in his State.
The bill   officially dubbed the The Motor Vehicles (Trials of Automotive Technologies) Amendment Bill   exempts autonomous cars from laws requiring moving vehicles to be under full, hands-on control at all times.
Mr Mullighan said the autonomous industry would be worth $90 billion in 15 years.
 We are on the cusp of the biggest advance in motoring since the Model T opened up car ownership to the masses,  Mr Mullighan said.
South Australia is already set to hold the southern hemisphere s first autonomous vehicle trials, though on a closed stretch of road.
Research organisation ARRB Group will hold the Australian Driverless Vehicle Initiative on   November 7-8, with companies such as Volvo and Bosch in tow to test new technologies on a closed-off section of the Southern Expressway outside Adelaide.
Though many driving enthusiasts   and, to be honest, a large number of the general public   would be aghast at giving up control to a machine, it is tempting to fantasise about a world where you can chill out with a book, play board games or catch some sleep when heading out on a family holiday.
We ll keep you up to date with how the trials go. 
 We are on the cusp of the biggest advance in motoring since the Model T.