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It’s an acquired skill perhaps that Google’s driverless car gets pulled over yet evades getting a ticket, all reportedly without making excuses or flirting. The tech giant clarified recent reports that one of their self-driving cars has been pulled over by a cop. It was because the autonomous vehicle was reportedly driving too slow.
Google has been experiencing with their high-tech and futuristic driverless cars around Mountain View for a while. However, not all were up to speed with their project. According to reports, the trademark Google car was driving around at 24 mph (miles per hour) in a 35 mph zone, slowing down traffic. This resulted into an officer of Mountain View Police Department (MVPD) to pull it over.
It would’ve been amusing perhaps for a dashboard cam to record the man’s reaction when there was no one in the driving seat. The rules are a bit loose, or almost non-existent, where it regards autonomous vehicles that are still in their testing period. It’s a bit difficult to make decision for the state on how these cars should be handled. So far, they’re still in the works on some of the details.
In this situation, however, the Google car was not breaking any laws, so there was no favor involved. Both the tech giant and the MVPD regularly do tests and make sure that their autonomous vehicles work well with their surroundings. Safety is the first.
However, it does seem like Google’s driverless car wasn’t breaking any rules. According to the California Vehicle code, no neighborhood electric vehicle can drive with a speed above 35 mph. It was allowed to be on that road, and, furthermore, it was doing it for safety reasons. The self-driving vehicle tends to slow down around areas with children, such as school sites.
Google caps their speed at 25 mph to also engage commuters into their project, and get then well acquainted with their technology. If it’s flying past them in traffic at great speeds, they would barely be seen. Apparently, the officer in question did not know of the project’s conditions and safety measures.
According to Google, many people flag them down for the purpose of getting to know more about their self-driving project. And, the tech giant is boasting around 1.2 million miles without getting a ticket. That’s roughly the equivalent of 90 years worth of driving experience. So far, that legacy has not changed.
The tech giant reassures the public that their self-driving vehicles are safe for the roads. They are working with the MVPD and make sure that remains to be the case. However, Google has also stated that should their cars break any local laws, they would pay the fine. It’s pretty clear that they can afford it.
Image source: google.com
