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Google's Driverless Cars Programmed to Break the Speed Limit

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

Hugh Pickens writes:

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: 3, Informative) by drussell on Wednesday August 20 2014, @04:05PM

    by drussell (2678) on Wednesday August 20 2014, @04:05PM (#83584) Journal

    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.

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  • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday August 20 2014, @09:07PM

    by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday August 20 2014, @09:07PM (#83700)
    "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..."

    I wish cyclists were aware of this.
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