That’s the puzzling question faced by cops in Mountain View, CA the other day.
Mountain View, where Google…oops, Alphabet…is the most prominent corporate citizen is also one of the areas where Google’s driverless cars are being tested. The cars, called GAVs for Google Autonomous Vehicles, are legally able to drive on streets where the speed limit is 35 mph or less. A Google employee sits in the car, but does not have control.
In this case, Mountain View officers noted that the car was doing 24 in a 35 zone, and traffic was piling up behind it. They pulled it over, determined that it was operating legally if annoyingly, and let it go…so we still don’t know how a ticket for a (not)driver would look. USA Today has more, with quotes from the cops, HERE
Google had a word to say, too: “After 1.2 million miles of autonomous driving (that’s the human equivalent of 90 years of driving experience), we’re proud to say we’ve never been ticketed!”
Photo: Google
“…so we still don’t know how a ticket for a (not)driver would look.” Maybe it would look the same as a parking ticket which, presumably, is also driverless. Or possibly an aid, such as a tow truck, would be involved. Let Alphabet bail out their driverless vehicle at the impound lot. Revenge of the non-nerds.
I’d hit the CEO with an abandonment of vehicle and reckless driving charge as well!
My all-day question about this has been answered. I couldn’t figure out how the cop stopped the car—does the car have a blue-light sensor? Did they have to call Google? etc.
A friend found another article that clarified that the (non)driver is able to take over and stop and steer the car; Google has now come to an agreement with the police that if he notices traffic backing up behind him, the (non)driver will now pull over and let it pass.
So there goes another dream job…riding around all day, book and beverage in hand, while the robot drives. I was just about to apply for it, too…
I see no conflict whatever. Just put a rearview mirror on your book.