Self-driving cars? They’re (sort of) here already

With automakers starting to make realistic predictions about when they can deliver self-driving cars, many motorists may not realize that to a large extent, such cars are here already.

Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Acura are among automakers that have started fielding vehicles that allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel. The cars stay on the road using a combination of radar and camera systems that track lane lines on the pavement. Most have alarms that remind drivers to put their hands back on after a few seconds. But not all: Infiniti's Q50 sedan can steer itself for miles without a finger on the wheel.

These come in addition to already available adaptive cruise control that adjusts to traffic speed, and collision prevention and mitigation systems that can slow or stop the vehicles. Some now can look beyond the car immediately ahead.

Automakers have pegged self-driving technology as a top-priority. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has set a goal of having a fully driverless car on sale by 2020. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche arrived at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany last month in the back seat of a driverless Mercedes S-Class that crept on stage.

A leader in the race to a truly driverless car has been Google, which has logged thousands of miles in California and Nevada with an autonomous Toyota Prius. Perhaps as a result, a new study being released today by consultants KPMG and the Center for Automotive Research finds that consumers trust technology companies more than automakers when it comes to building self-driving cars.

But overall, drivers are wary of driverless technology. Nine of 10 say a licensed driver still should be at the wheel, according to a survey of 1,000 adults last month by ORC International for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Only a third say they'd be willing to buy a self-driving car.

Starting this model year, these automakers have installed a next generation of lane-keeping systems that let drivers take their hands off the wheel on ! freeways:

• Infiniti. Active Lane Control in the new Q50 sedan handles straight roads and highway curves, though not the sharper turns of city driving. Then, the lane-departure alarm sounds. "It's fair to say some of these driving aids can look forward to autonomous driving, but they are here today to take the stress out of everyday driving," says spokesman Kyle Bazemore.

• Mercedes-Benz. The 2014 E-Class, and now the new S-Class sedans have Active Lane Keeping Assist, which nudges the steering wheel back to the center of the lane if the car starts to drift. Drivers can take their hands off the wheel for about 10 seconds before a warning light changes color.

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It's a "small step" toward autonomous driving, says Dave Larsen, the S-Class product manager. A fully autonomous Mercedes test car has only 10 sensors more.

• Acura.The RLX flagship sedan and MDX crossover, both new this year, has a lane-keeping system that gently pulls the car back into the lane. If drivers remove hands from the wheel for too many seconds, they are busted by a flashing light and chime. "It's meant to keep you in the center of your lane," says spokesman Chuck Schifsky. "We still believe, at the core, needs to be the driver."

• Lexus. Lane KeepAssist holds the car in the lane, but cancels it if hands leave the steering wheel.