Self-driving car hits Va. highway for key test

ARLINGTON, Va. - An ordinary-looking Cadillac did something extraordinary on Monday morning - it drove itself. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute developed an automated car and conducted a closed test on the I-95 Express Lanes.

How smart is this smart car? It steers, speeds up, slows down, changes lanes and even hits the brakes.

"Do you like it? Does it feel natural to you now?" FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald asked Virginia Tech researcher Luke Neurauter.

"I think it certainly has its place. I know we've all been on long trips where it would be great to just kinda sit back and turn it over to the vehicle and let it do its thing," he said.

But is it safe? Virginia Senator Mark Warner says yes, but the experience took some getting used to.

"All of a sudden the car is moving from one lane to another. I think you may have seen a little bit of a surprised look on my face," said Warner.

Virginia has invested in Virginia Tech's test track and has 70 miles of automated corridors for testing the cars. Experts say the rollout could be anywhere from three to 30 years.