According to WTVR.com, self-driving and wireless connected cars are headed to the roads in Virginia, after the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the testing of these vehicles in High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate 95 and Interstate 495 in Northern Virginia.

Initially, the cars will be tested on closed roads, but eventually, they will be tested during “light traffic” times.

According to Virginia Department of Transportation Research Director Cathy McGhee, fellow occupants on the road should not notice anything unusual once these self-driving vehicles begin testing.

“It’s unlikely that a driver would notice the difference, there will be a driver behind the wheel of the vehicle at all times, it’s just that the systems will be taking over some of the driver  functions,” McGhee says.

The cars will be equipped with a variety of sensors, which will keep them in their lanes and help them avoid contact with other connected cars. Cars will also be able to merge safely and efficiently, thanks to the self-driving cars being able to “get a feel for the flow of traffic.”

Welcoming these cars to the roads for testing is especially important for McGhee, as she says that a high percentage of crashes that occur in the state are a result of distracted driving. McGhee believes that autonomous driving technology has the potential to “completely eliminate those crashes.”

“It has a tremendous potential to greatly increase the safety of our road ways,” McGhee says.