China allocates 11 more roads for self-driving car tests to speed up development

China’s capital city has designated 11 more roads for self-driving vehicle testing, state news agency Xinhua said on 19 September, to try to speed up the technology’s development. The 11 roads are in Beijing’s Fangshan District, Xinhua reported. [caption id=“attachment_5220841” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Li Zengwen, a development engineer at Changan Automobile, lifts his hands off the steering wheel as the car is on self-driving mode during a test drive on a highway in Beijing. Image: Reuters[/caption] **Self-driving cars** must have a temporary number plate before they begin tests on designated roads, Xinhua said, quoting a notice released by Beijing’s Municipal Commission of Transport. They also have to complete 5,000 kilometers of driving in designated closed test fields and pass certain ability assessments. Cars being tested need to have supervision facilities installed too, to upload real-time data for monitoring. The test driver in the autonomous car must have received no less than 50 hours of training and be able to take over the vehicle at any time during the test, Xinhua said. In March, Beijing opened its first 33 roads for self-driving vehicle tests.