Self-driving cars could potentially be tested in Windsor

Mayor Drew Dilkens stands in the board room at City Hall on Feb. 19. Photo by Stephanie Zografos

By Stephanie Zografos

 

Windsor could potentially be the testing spot for new technologies working to build self-driving cars.

 

Mayor Drew Dilkens pitched the idea to get Windsor involved in building and testing the cars at the Canadian International Auto show in hope of bringing more jobs to the area. Dilkens said that Windsor would be a good candidate because of the city’s automotive background.

 

“I think that we have expertise in manufacturing, specifically automotive, that is our history here,” said Dilkens. “We are good at building these cars, we are really good at putting the technology into the vehicles and we have unique characteristics where we have urban and rural environments. We are also on the border, so these vehicles will have to be tested going over from Canada to the United States and there is no better place to do that than right here in Windsor.”

 

Should the city be chosen more jobs will come to the area, but Dilkens said there could potentially be a cost to the taxpayer.

 

“I think any costs are incurred as part of the network of infrastructure needed to test them,” said Dilkens. “There might be WiFi or 3G or 4G technology and other advance technologies needed to help the cars communicate effectively with the network and with each other.”

 

Currently, Dilkens as well as the University of Windsor and St. Clair College are working together on a conjoined letter to Ford expressing interest in the project.

 

With the possibility of this new technology being tested in Windsor there is some worry about safety. Shawn Ractiz, the owner and instructor for Signal Truck & Forklift Driving School said he is concerned with having self-driving cars in the city.

 

“I worry about safety and they possibility of it being hacked,” said Ractiz. “I see stories about GPS systems and computers being hacked and that people are coming and shutting those systems down, and this could mean that people will be able to turn other cars left or right on the road.”

 

At this point Dilkens said there is no decision on whether Windsor will be chosen to run the test project or when the process of the cars coming to the city will start. Stratford is also being considered as the test site.