I think we can all see it coming. With the rapid pace that technology moves at, it’s only a matter of time that cars will do all the work for us and we can lay down in the back seat and get some shut eye. The concept of the self-driving car is still very much in the infancy stage. And like the common motorist, the self-driving car simply cannot hide from the law. Near Google’s main campus in California, a car was pulled over for going too slow. A Mountain View traffic officer caught the vehicle traveling 24 miles an hour in a 35 MPH zone, creating a big logjam of traffic. The California traffic code states the following:
No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, unless the reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or in compliance with the law.
Google Self-Driving cars have had some minor accidents in the past, most of them coming from a rear-end collision. And believe it or not, the Google cars were not the ones responsible for the traffic accidents. The police officers in the area have been working with Google to better understand the dynamics of the self-driving car, including how the cars choose their speeds in certain situations. The concept of the car really works, in theory, but still has a long way to go in terms of practical use. Will there be a mandate in the future that all roadways will be automated? Having a mix of self-driving vehicles and regular drivers behind the wheel seems to be a recipe for disaster. But, the fact that the technology is being calibrated for the future is extremely exciting.
Thanks to The Guardian for the story and quote.
