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Autonomous Vehicle Day

Experience the future of transportation with Autonomous Vehicle Day - explore the latest self-driving technology, and see what it can do for you!

Monday

May 2027

Last updated February 7, 2026 · by the Holiday Calendar Team

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YEARLY DATEMay 31

OBSERVED INUnited States

CATEGORYTech

SUBCATEGORYInnovation

INTRO

Introduction

PHOTO

Get ready to celebrate Autonomous Vehicle Day on May 31! This special day was first created in 2018 to recognize the potential of autonomous vehicles and their potential to revolutionize transportation. Technologies such as driverless cars, trucks, buses and other self-driving machines have been developed over the years and are now being tested around the world. Autonomous Vehicle Day is a great opportunity for us to learn more about these amazing technologies and how they can help shape our future.

TIMELINE

Autonomous Vehicle Day Timeline

First Autonomous Vehicle Concept

Houdina Radio Control demonstrated the first radio-controlled driverless car on the streets of New York City.

First Functional Self-Driving Vehicle

Tsukuba Mechanical Engineering Lab in Japan developed the first functional autonomous car, which successfully drove at a speed of 20mph using two cameras for vision.

Longest Autopilot Drive

Carnegie Mellon University's Navlab 5 completed the longest autonomous drive covering 2,849 miles from Pittsburgh to San Diego.

DARPA Grand Challenge

Stanford University's robotic Volkswagen Touareg won the DARPA Grand Challenge becoming the first autonomous vehicle to complete a 131-mile course.

Google's Self-Driving Car Project

Google starts a self-driving car project which is later named Waymo in 2016, making autonomy a public discussion for the first time.

Autonomous Vehicle Day Inception

The very first Autonomous Vehicle Day was celebrated, created to bring attention to the advancements and potential of autonomous vehicles.

GET INVOLVED

How to Celebrate Autonomous Vehicle Day

Test an Autonomous Vehicle

Find a place that offers test drives with self-driving cars and take a spin! You can see the latest advances in autonomous technology and experience the future of transportation.

ATTEND

Attend a Conference

Check out any conferences happening near you on Autonomous Vehicle Day and learn from experts about the latest advancements in this field.

WATCH

Watch a Documentary

Learn more about how autonomous vehicles are impacting our lives by watching documentaries like "Autonomy" or "Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead.

READ

Read a Book

Pick up a book to better understand the history of autonomous vehicles, like "The Driver in the Driverless Car: How Our Technology Choices Will Create the Future.

VISIT

Visit a Museum

Locate a museum near you that has exhibits dedicated to autonomous vehicles, such as The Tech Interactive in San Jose, California. There, you can learn about the technology behind self driving cars.

WHY THIS DAY MATTERS

Why Autonomous Vehicle Day is Important

Autonomous vehicles will provide increased safety

Autonomous vehicles have the potential to reduce traffic accidents due to their ability to detect and respond to hazards on the road faster than humans. By implementing self-driving technologies, we can create a much safer driving environment for both drivers and passengers alike.

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