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posted by n1 on Wednesday August 20 2014, @02:51PM   Printer-friendly
from the avoiding-accidents-is-dangerous-driving dept.

BBC reports that according to Dmitri Dolgov, lead software engineer for Google's driverless car project, Google's self-driving cars are programmed to exceed speed limits by up to 10 mph when surrounding vehicles are breaking the speed limit, because going more slowly could actually present a danger. In many countries, including the United States, the speed limit is a rather nebulous thing. It's posted, but on many roads hardly anybody obeys it.

Almost every driver speeds regularly, and anybody going at or below the limit on a clear road outside the right lane is typically an obstruction to traffic—they will find themselves being tailgated or passed at high speed on the left and right. A ticket for going 1 mph over the limit is an extremely rare thing and usually signals a cop with another agenda or a special day of zero-tolerance enforcement. In fact, many drivers feel safe from tickets up to about 9 mph over the limit. Tickets happen there, but the major penalties require going faster, and most police like to go after that one weaving, racing guy who thinks the limit does not apply to him. Commenting on Google self-drive cars' ability to exceed the speed limit, a Department for Transport spokesman said: "There are no plans to change speed limits, which will still apply to driverless cars".

 
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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by quacking duck on Wednesday August 20 2014, @03:22PM

    by quacking duck (1395) on Wednesday August 20 2014, @03:22PM (#83562)

    How does the driver-less car handle roads and highways with one lane each direction, where the unwritten local custom (since there's lax or no enforcement) is to go, say, 80 km/h in a 60 km/h zone? Does it stick to 60 despite the long lineup of vehicles behind it, or start speeding up after enough cars cross the centre lane to pass it (far more dangerous than if everyone were speeding along at 80)?

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  • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Wednesday August 20 2014, @06:06PM

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Wednesday August 20 2014, @06:06PM (#83630) Journal

    Does it stick to 60 despite the long lineup of vehicles behind it, or start speeding up after enough cars cross the centre lane to pass it
     
    I'm guessing it would follow the law in that situation. You are required to use the next turnout to allow faster vehicles to pass once there are 3 or more behind you.

    • (Score: 1) by Arik on Thursday August 21 2014, @02:07PM

      by Arik (4543) on Thursday August 21 2014, @02:07PM (#83939) Journal
      "You are required to use the next turnout to allow faster vehicles to pass once there are 3 or more behind you."

      I think this only applies to vehicles traveling significantly below the posted speed limit. Not to vehicles already traveling 10 miles over. At that point the people behind you really need to slow the fsck down, though I will grant I might pull aside just because I prefer to have the idiots out front where I can see them.
      --
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