Last year , California gave autonomous vehicle companiesCruise and Waymo permission to run driverless robotaxison the streets of San Francisco . Almost immediately , the elevator car demonstrated they were n’t quick for the road . The taxis cause traffic jams , drove around in bizarre unpredictable pattern , and in at least one case , hit a pedestrian and result her with sprightliness - threaten trauma . Some of Waymo ’s railway car are still on the route . It rick out that amidst the chaos , these robot machine driver had a special resistance . Driverless cars ca n’t get traffic tickets in California , no matter how badly they drive .
If you ’re a human being driving around in California , you have to espouse the rule of the road . Apparently , robots do n’t . In accordance with state law , the San Francisco Police Department ’s official policy is that driverless railcar ca n’t get tickets for driving mistakes , as report byNBC News .
The police department ’s insurance policy states that “ At this metre , no citation for a moving infraction can be issued if the [ autonomous fomite ] is being manoeuvre in a driverless mode , ” according to Officer Paulina Henderson , a spokesperson for the SFPD . Police military officer are allowed to pull a driverless auto over if they observe a dealings violation , and they ’re instructed to take down information including the possessor of the vehicle and license plate information . However , officers can only give tickets for issue tie in to mechanically skillful or enrollment violations .
Illustration: studiostoks / Shutterstock.com (Shutterstock)
That ’s because California did n’t rile to update its laws before handing the keys to Waymo , which is owned by Google , and Cruise , owned by General Motors . These car have gotten parking tickets because if you park illegally , the ticket go to the person who owns the auto . But in California , law enforcement can only give move misdemeanour to the soul operate the fomite . If it ’s an algorithm careening through the streets , plain , it ’s above the law — or at least above dealings laws .
fit in to a spokesperson for the California Department of Motor Vehicles , it ’s up to the state legislature to update the law . The DMV is creditworthy for updating safety and fomite requirement within existing statute , and is currently turn to update regulations , the spokesperson say .
“ The DMV distinguish that autonomous technology is an develop technology and stay on committed to enhance the regulatory structure to reflect the continued development of the engineering science , ” the spokesperson said . “ The DMV further all interested parties to enter in future shop and rulemaking appendage to help inform and shape the regularization interrelate to the safe operations of autonomous vehicles in California . ”
Waymo did not immediately reply to a postulation for input . Cruise declined to comment .
Other DoS permit car companies to gamble public safety with their driverless experimentation , but some transgress out the legislative pen to update the vehicle codification . In Texas and Arizona , two state where Waymo and Cruise also had cars on the road , the laws were updated to say that traffic tickets can go to the owners of a driverless car , even if there ’s no one behind the roulette wheel .
That seems like forrad - thought process , given the recent golem driving track record . now after Waymo and Cruise started their 24 - hour self-directed vehicle cognitive process in San Francisco in August of 2023 , reports emerged of strange and unsafe driving pattern . Carsgot perplex in wet cement , blocked dealings , stymy public transit , andmade other illogical move on the route . That same calendar month , the city ofSan Francisco begged the California Department of Motor Vehiclesto overturn Waymo and Cruise ’s driverless permission .
The robotaxis sparked protestation and a fate of skilful jokes , but the issue turned somber once the trauma set about piling up . Cruise was the worst wrongdoer . In one incident , aCruise sovereign vehicle mosh into a fire truck , injuring a Cruise employee who was in the car . Cruise ’s car struck pedestrians in two other incidents , including one thatleft an nameless adult female crusade for her lifeafter aCruise fomite dragged her down the street . California officials by and by said thatCruise lied to the governmentabout the severity of the fortuity .
Fortunately for you and your children , Cruise pulled all of its driverless cable car off the roadsnationwide shortly thereafter . Waymo , however , still has its robot automobile on the streets .
Alphabet Inc. GENERAL MOTORSGoogleRobotaxiRoboticsWaymo
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