Close call for rival self-drive prototypes

Two self-driving prototype cars, one operated by Google Inc and the other by Delphi Automotive Plc, had a close call on a street in America’s Silicon Valley street earlier this week, a Delphi executive said.

It was believed to be the first such incident involving two vehicles especially equipped for automated driving.

The incident occurred last Tuesday on San Antonio Rd in Palo Alto, said John Absmeier, director of Delphi’s Silicon Valley lab and global business director for the company’s automated driving programme, who was a passenger in one of the cars. No collision took place.