Technology is certainly
changing things. I can remember when only people drove cars. Should
a person driving the car have disobeyed a traffic law, they were given a
ticket by a police officer who caught them. This was a time when
people came up with a variety of excuses for breaking traffic laws.
Police officers have heard everything from people were speeding
because they needed to get to a bathroom or they did a wrong turn
because their friend told them it was okay and more. I was once
pulled over by a police officer who asked me if I knew why he pulled
me over. I told him I wasn't a betting man, but I bet he was going
to tell me. I quickly learned wit and humor are not good to use when
being given a traffic ticket.
Today, technology has
provided an additional problem for law enforcement officers who are
dedicated to protecting people from vehicles breaking traffic laws.
They are called self-driving vehicles. Does this mean a vehicle has
to worry about getting points on its driving license? Will the
insurance provider for self-driving vehicles raise the insurance
rates if the vehicle is given a speeding ticket? I do wonder who
will provide a law enforcement officer with a drivers license,
registration, and proof of insurance.
Below are excerpts from
the story with my valuable insights in italics.
A self-driving shuttle got
pulled over by police on its first day carrying passengers on a new
Rhode Island route.
Providence Police Chief
Hugh Clements said an officer pulled over the odd-looking autonomous
vehicle because he had never seen one before.
"It looked like an
oversized golf cart," Clements said.
I'm sure it was an
interesting conversation when the police officer told his dispatch he
was asking permission to pull over a vehicle that looked like an oversized golf cart. I'm sure he made his case when he told dispatch it
was on the road and not a golf course.
How would you feel if
you were on a driverless shuttle and it got pulled over by the
police?
“Excuse me, where is
the driver?”
“There isn't one.
It's a driverless vehicle.”
“What are you doing
on the vehicle?”
“I'm the passenger
using it to get to a stop.”
“If this vehicle gets
into an accident, there won't be a driver to file a lawsuit against.”
“You're right, let me
off of this thing.”
The shuttle offers free
rides on a 12-stop urban loop that links to a train station Each
vehicle holds six people, including an attendant who takes control
when the self-driving technology falls short, such as on difficult
left turns with oncoming traffic.
This could lead to an
interesting conversation.
“Could I see your
drivers license, registration, and proof of insurance.”
“Okay, but I wasn't
driving the vehicle.”
“Who was driving the
vehicle?”
“The vehicle was
driving itself. I told the vehicle it was making an illegal turn,
but did this vehicle listen to me? It didn't and now look what
happened. I think you should give the vehicle a ticket and teach it
a lesson.”
“Since your the only
human here, I think I'll give you a ticket.”
“Well, there are
humans who are associated with the operation of this vehicle, so
maybe everybody should get a ticket.”
“You are making me
suspicious. You don't want to have a law enforcement officer
suspicious of you. It would be a mistake.”
“Will the vehicle
have to show up to court with me when I challenge the ticket?
“You'll have to ask
the judge.”
In a part of New England
known for impatient and aggressive drivers, local officials have
braced themselves for how motorists will react to the slow-moving
vehicles. Built by Minnesota-based Polaris Industries, the vehicles
have a glass roof and resemble a tiny bus, but with seats that snugly
face each other.
How frustrating for New
England drivers to display their creative use of hand signals to
another driver only to realize, there is no other driver. I'm sure
the anger they feel could only be increased by hurling unique
expletives at a fellow driver and discovering they are wasting their
creative swearing on a driverless vehicle. I may get angry at a
driverless vehicle simply because it has snugly facing seats. I
don't know what is considered snugly facing, but I think it's
deserving of some swearing.
Officials chose a route
that has little traffic but connects commuters from neighborhoods
underserved by public transit to Amtrak, commuter rail and other bus
stops. The pilot is partially funded from a government
settlement with Volkswagen for modifying vehicles to cheat on
emissions tests.
I suppose the advantage
of having access to Amtrak is the train won't be pulled over by a
police officer. If this was done successfully by a police officer,
it would be worthy of an international news story. Maybe there is a
thank you should be given to Volkswagen for cheating on their
emissions tests. If they had been an honest company, and properly
modified their vehicles, a policeman in Rhode Island may have never
been able to pull over a driverless vehicle.
Below is a link to the
story.
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/rhode-island-cop-self-driving-car
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