Self-Driving Cars and Traffic Laws

Self-Driving Cars and the Law

• A self-driving car built by Google was stopped by a police officer in Mountain View, California, for driving too slowly.
• The car was traveling at 24 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone, causing traffic to back up.

The Incident

• The officer did not issue a ticket but instead wanted to educate the operators about blocking traffic and learn more about how the car chooses speeds.
• The incident highlights the need for clarification on how to regulate self-driving cars.

Google's Self-Driving Car

• Google's self-driving car has high-tech sensors and computers, and has never received a ticket.
• The car has a top speed of 25 miles per hour and is powered by electric batteries.
• The interior is designed for comfortable riding, with two seats.

Other Companies Working on Driverless Vehicles

• Nissan is testing a driverless car in Tokyo, Japan, and plans to have a version ready for public sale by 2020.
• Toyota Motor Corporation, Tesla Motors, Mercedes Benz, and others are also working on driverless technology.

Safety and Implications

• Google claims that 94% of accidents in the United States are caused by human error, and that self-driving vehicles could reduce the number of accidents.
• Eventually, self-driving vehicles could mean that nobody would need a driver's license.
• Google's self-driving cars have been involved in 17 minor accidents since 2010, but the company claims that these were not caused by its cars.
• Representatives of Google's self-driving car project are trying to program the vehicles to drive less like robots and more like people.

Future of Driverless Cars

• Police officials in Mountain View, California, regularly meet with Google representatives to ensure the driverless test vehicles are operating safely.
• Cities around the world may need to revise some of the rules of the road for a future that includes more driverless cars.