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Yandex starts testing self-driving cars without driver in cabin

"The vehicle is accompanied with another car with an operator that can immediately make an emergency stop of the self-driving car remotely," Andrey Karmatsky said

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Yandex has initiated the final stage of testing self-driving cars in Innopolis without drivers in the cabin, the Russian technology company said.

The vehicle will be followed by another car with an operator capable of making an emergency stop remotely, the company informed.

Yandex has become the first company in Europe that is testing self-driving cars without drivers.

"Yandex is holding trials of self-driving cars at three stages. At the first one, the testing driver is at the driver’s seat and does not steer the vehicle but is ready to interfere in contingency. The testing driver is at the passenger’s seat with a device for emergency braking at the second stage," head of the robotic taxi unit of Yandex Andrey Karmatsky said.

"The final stage is without the driver. The vehicle is accompanied with another car with an operator that can immediately make an emergency stop of the self-driving car remotely," he added.

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