Google Chooses Austin, Texas As Testing Site For Driverless Cars

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Google Inc. has chosen Texas as the latest testing site for its self-driving car project.

The company on Tuesday announced a Lexus SUV has hit the road in Austin, with safety drivers on board.

A Google statement says the driverless car will operate a few square miles north and northeast of downtown Austin.

Google has several dozen self-driving cars being tested on streets in Mountain View, California, where the company is based.

The vehicles use special software and sensors, which can detect objects as far as two football fields away in all directions.

Google in 2013 announced the company picked tech-savvy Austin for wiring homes with ultra-fast Internet connections as part of Google Fiber.