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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".
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Vanderhoth on Wednesday August 20 2014, @03:44PM
I actually have heard this for a long time from defensive driving courses. You should drive the speed of traffic within reason to the posted speed limit. Obviously if there are cars doing 150 km/h in an 80 km/h zone you shouldn't be trying to keep up, but if traffic is moving around 90 km/h then you should be moving along with it, otherwise you're a rock in the middle of a river and traffic is going to do whatever it can to flow around you.
Who really hasn't been driving somewhere and run into the "granny" that's just put-putting along and there's no way to pass her. It's incredibly frustrating. I have this problem yearly with RVs traveling on a stretch of highway I frequent when my wife and I are visiting her parents. 2-3 hour drive, no passing lanes for 30-60 minuets at a time, screaming 2 year old in the back, speed limit is 110 km/h, RVs driving 80 km/h. There is a secondary highway (mostly back roads) with a limit of 80 km/h, if you're going to drive that speed anyway get out of the 110 km/h zone and see some of the scenery.
It won't be an issue for a driverless car, but for a human driver in a hurry that could very easily become a situation where things go horribly wrong. Slow people aren't to blame of course, they should be driving at whatever speed they feel comfortable and confident with, but this is one of the major arguments for driverless cars. Even if the person trying to get around them is angry that they're running late, or still have a 3 hour drive that's looking more like 5 hours, with a screaming kid in the back the worst they can do is scream their heads off at the slower driver, or the kid, rather than whip out and speed up into on coming traffic (I've seen it happen, and it didn't end well for anyone on the highway that day). Also with a driverless car Granny isn't going to be driving super slow, her car will be going the same speed as everyone else.
So there you have it, Grannies are driving faster and the speed daemons are slowing down. As an added bonus that you can actually pay attention to the 2 year old in the back and actually do something about whatever they're screaming about rather than just listen to it for 3+ hours or have to pull over every 15 minutes because they dropped their sippy cup or stuffy on the floor... Or you could just read a paper/book or watch a movie instead of staring at the back end of a giant RV.
"Now we know", "And knowing is half the battle". -G.I. Joooooe
(Score: 3, Informative) by drussell on Wednesday August 20 2014, @04:05PM
I actually have heard this for a long time from defensive driving courses. You should drive the speed of traffic within reason to the posted speed limit. Obviously if there are cars doing 150 km/h in an 80 km/h zone you shouldn't be trying to keep up, but if traffic is moving around 90 km/h then you should be moving along with it, otherwise you're a rock in the middle of a river and traffic is going to do whatever it can to flow around you.
Precisely. Way back in driver's education (20+ years ago) I was taught that you "drive with the flow of traffic" even if it is slightly above the posted limit. This still holds today as being correct and seems to be exactly what Google has programmed the cars to do.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday August 20 2014, @09:07PM
I wish cyclists were aware of this.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 20 2014, @05:06PM
Ahh man. I've BEEN that RV. Here's the thing: many RVs/travel trailers/trailers in general have a maximum safe speed. Most of the suckers aren't very aerodynamic, many are quite old, and nearly all of them are attached loosely to a small balljoint that doesn't inspire confidence. Also bear in mind that despite electronic brakes (you brake, it causes the trailer to brake also) if you DO have to slam on the brakes you have an additional 2-4 tons pushing you onward. It is simply unsafe to drive above a certain limit regardless of the posted limit. If I'm pulling an RV, I WILL NOT GO FASTER THAN 60. Period. So yes, I try to plan that out in my routes, but very often I'll accumulate a tail of local frustrated traffic and I can only pull over to allow traffic to pass, relieving some congestion temporarily. I get a lot of middle finger solutes as they floor the gas and swerve around me as I'm still pulling off onto a shoulder or driveway. I've even seen a truck lose control and nearly wreck doing so.
Honestly, It's an awful lot of energy expended over getting from A to B a few minutes faster. That's the other thing, if I'm pulling an RV, I'm on vacation fuckers! HAHAHA!
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday August 20 2014, @06:47PM
Not only that, but many states impose a lesser speed on these big rigs.
As for the kid in the back seat screaming, why not pull over and take care of that issue instead of getting all road-rage (which kids sense). Going faster isn't going to make the kid's diapers change themselves.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Vanderhoth on Wednesday August 20 2014, @09:18PM
Kids cry for all variety of reasons the easiest of which to diagnose is a dirty diaper. You obviously don't have them if you think pulling over every 15 minutes on a 3 hour drive is an acceptable policy. If you did you'd know that'd easily turn a 3 hour drive into 6 - 8 hours. If you think listening to a screaming kid for 3 hours causes road-rage, Oh Boy! Do it for 6 hours AND having to pull over every 15 min.
That's really beside the point anyway, the kid was just one example of some of the things that could be going on that could warrant a person being in a rush, and not so much a rush as just wanting the trip to take extra long.
"Now we know", "And knowing is half the battle". -G.I. Joooooe
(Score: 2) by zsau on Thursday August 21 2014, @11:41PM
If you can't safely drive with kids in the car, maybe you shouldn't be driving with kids in the car.