Video Credit: Arlnow.com
—————————————
Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
ARLINGTON, VA (WMAL) — A seemingly unassuming grey Ford Transit Connect van was spotted driving around the streets of Clarendon Thursday.
The catch: This van didn’t seem to have a driver.
Video taken by arlnow.com shows the van driving around in normal traffic with no one in either the driver or passenger seats.
The initial report from arlnow.com insinuates that the car may have been part of a autonomous vehicle testing program recently approved between VDOT, FHWA, and Virginia Tech that would have allowed autonomous vehicles on I-95, I-495, I-66, Route 50 and Route 29.
It is worth noting that the roads which the car was seen driving yesterday are not part of those routes.
Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute, the organization behind autonomous vehicle testing done through the University, refused to comment for this article.
While an autonomous vehicle wouldn’t be unheard of driving around in this region (nor would it be illegal), there may be another, more simple, explanation: there was a driver, just one who couldn’t be seen.
That’s at least some preliminary information WMAL received from a spokesperson in Arlington County Government:
“This may possibly not be a driverless vehicle – it may be a vehicle where the driver is shielded [from view],” the spokesperson said, citing some early internal findings from the County.
And watching the video in that context, the tinting on the back windows looks to be a large clue in what is going on.
The goal, ostensibly, of a project like this would be to gauge reaction to driverless cars without the risk and regulatory burden of actually putting an autonomous vehicle on the road, according to the spokeswoman.
Regardless, it seems that the testing achieved its goal of turning heads – regardless of whether the vehicle was truly autonomous or not.
And for now, the mystery of the Driverless Van remains unsolved.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Copyright 2017 WMAL.com All Rights Reserved. (Video: Arlnow.com / Photo: Arlington County Government)
