By YOUNG MONEY Staff
27 June 2011

Europe is taking steps to encourage the use of mass transit, or walking, in favor of automobile use, but at least one U.S. state is actually taking a step the other direction. Forbes reports that Nevada could soon see driverless cars rolling along its streets and highways.

Last week, the Nevada state legislature passed a law legalizing the use of driverless vehicles on public streets pending regulations crafted by the state's Department of Transportation. Google is thought to be one of the primary proponents behind the law, as the company looks to test its new driverless car in real-life conditions.

According to ZD Net, Google's cars have already driven nearly 140,000 miles in testing. The company promotes the concept as a means of reducing traffic and improving fuel efficiency. Google is hardly the only company to look into automation in cars, however. Forbes reports that Volkswagen has developed a new "Temporary Auto Pilot," which could control a car even on the highway, though it is intended only as a supplement for a driver rather than a replacement.

Reuters notes that automated vehicles have already seen extended use in some industrial purposes, such as driverless mining trucks.