The conglomeration of regulatory frameworks for the testing of prototype autonomous vehicles in Europe creates a challenging task for developers and researchers planning pilots across borders. While there are examples of international autonomous driving projects and cooperation in autonomous vehicle research, Europe lacks a mutually recognised testing procedure for autonomous vehicle pilots, and incompatible legal and administrative processes in each country creates a disincentive for ambitious cross-border testing. The diverse climate and topography of Europe potentially provides a rigorous testing ground for autonomous vehicles, and an opportunity to prepare the new technology to deal with varied signage, language and driver behaviour encountered when travelling across multiple countries.
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