Self-driving cars have long been confined to the storylines of futuristic films and the engineer's drawing board but now they finally being tested in real traffic on a German autobahn.

German carmaker Daimler has been trialling a self-driving truck under real traffic conditions on a German motorway for the first time.

The standard Mercedes-Benz Actros truck was fitted with the 'highway pilot' system, allowing it to work without a human driver, and travelled from Stuttgart to the town of Denkendorf.

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Unique: The vehicle, the world's first series-production autonomous truck, travelled nine miles on the A8 motorway although there was a driver in the cabin ready to grab the wheel if required

Inside the truck: The Actros managed to complete the short journey without any major issues

The vehicle, the world's first series-production autonomous truck, travelled nine miles on the A8 motorway although there was a driver in the cabin ready to grab the wheel if required.

The driver in question was brave Daimler board member Wolfgang Bernhard, who later praised the experience as 'a further important step towards the market maturity of autonomously driving trucks.'

He also suggested that self-driving cars could help make 'safe, sustainable road freight transport of the future.'

'Safe testing in real traffic is absolutely decisive for the development of this technology to market maturity. We are now able to proceed with this,' said Bernhard.

Ready: Daimler board member Wolfgang Bernhard was at the wheel for the test drive on the German autobahn

Innovative: Daimler unveiled the Mercedes-Benz Actros for the first time in Nevada when it drove across the Hoover dam

Technical: Optimised gear shifting, careful control of acceleration and braking allows the vehicle to generate at least five percent fewer CO2 emissions, the company said

Hopeful: 'Safe testing in real traffic is absolutely decisive for the development of this technology to market maturity. We are now able to proceed with this,' said Bernhard

Effective: The system also makes allowances for changes in weather or if the road markings on the road are hard to see

The system includes front-mounted radar and a stereo camera, as well as Daimler's Adaptive Cruise Control system.

Since the Highway Pilot was first tested, the system has been driven on 20,000 kilometres of test routes in Germany and the United States.

The system also makes allowances for changes in weather or if the road markings on the road are hard to see.

The driver maintains the overall control of decision making, importantly including emergency measure to bring the vehicle to a gradual halt if the driver fails to respond to the system commands.

State premier Winfried Kretschmann of the Greens party, who was also along for the ride, said 'partially autonomous and autonomous driving indicates that a new age of mobility is dawning'.

'Autonomously driving and networked vehicles improve the flow of traffic and can play a decisive role in helping to avoid traffic jams and relieving the strain on drivers,' he said in a statement. 'They also boost traffic safety.'

Whilst Germany storms ahead with trialling the driverless system, the British government pledged £19million to support research into self-driving cars last year and has already released a 40-page government document outlining the legality of the vehicles.

Titled 'The pathway to driverless cars', the document describes the idea as having the potential 'to change lives for the better.'

Impressive: The system includes front-mounted radar (pictured) and a stereo camera, as well as Daimler's Adaptive Cruise Control system

For the future: Daimler have hailed autonomous trucks as a means of improving efficiency and cutting carbon emissions

'It will make driving easier, allow people to be more productive and offer greater mobility to a wider range of people than ever before,' it claimed.

There is currently no additional legal paperwork for car owners to test drive self-driving cars on British roads but the system must have completed tests or test tracks.

However, a driver must be behind the wheel, ready to take over the car in case of emergency. A data recorder is also required for the vehicle to be tested officially.

Daimler have hailed autonomous trucks as a means of improving efficiency and cutting carbon emissions.

Optimised gear shifting, careful control of acceleration and braking allows the vehicle to generate at least five percent fewer CO2 emissions, the company said.

The news comes after Daimler unveiled the self-driving technology for the first time in Nevada back in May.