Google Self-Driving Car Pulled Over for Being Too Slow
car&bike Team
1 min read
Nov 16, 2015, 06:05 PM
A Google self-driving car has been pulled over by a traffic cop in Mountain View, California for an offence we generally don't come across too many times - driving too slowly. It was going 18Km/h under the speed limit.
No action was taken by the cop but the California Department of Motor Vehicles filed a report describing the Google automated car as "over-cautious". The Google Autonomous Vehicle (Google AV) was travelling at 24mph (39Km/h) in a 35mph (56Km/h) zone.
In a post, Google joked: "Bet humans don't get pulled over for that too often."
The net giant also added: "We've capped the speed of our prototype vehicles at 40Km/h (25mph) for safety reasons. We want them to feel friendly and approachable, rather than zooming scarily through neighbourhood streets. We're proud to say we've never been ticketed." Google claims that the company has conducted 1.2 million miles of autonomous driving tests.
Read | Google's Self-Driving Taxi Service to Rival Uber
The Mountain View police department, in a blogpost about the incident, said an officer "noticed traffic backing up behind a slow-moving car in the eastbound lane".
"The officer stopped the car and made contact with the operators to learn more about how it was choosing speeds along certain roadways and to educate the operators about impeding traffic," it added.
Google's fleet of self-driving cars are programmed to follow all traffic rules and regulations to the letter. However, this becomes a problem when they share the same road with human drivers who are erratic and generally don't follow all the rules.
In September, Google said it was working to make its autonomous cars drive "more humanistically".
Earlier, a Google self-driving car met with an accident when it unnecessarily braked at a pedestrian crossing and another vehicle went into the back of it.
No action was taken by the cop but the California Department of Motor Vehicles filed a report describing the Google automated car as "over-cautious". The Google Autonomous Vehicle (Google AV) was travelling at 24mph (39Km/h) in a 35mph (56Km/h) zone.
In a post, Google joked: "Bet humans don't get pulled over for that too often."
The net giant also added: "We've capped the speed of our prototype vehicles at 40Km/h (25mph) for safety reasons. We want them to feel friendly and approachable, rather than zooming scarily through neighbourhood streets. We're proud to say we've never been ticketed." Google claims that the company has conducted 1.2 million miles of autonomous driving tests.
Read | Google's Self-Driving Taxi Service to Rival Uber
The Mountain View police department, in a blogpost about the incident, said an officer "noticed traffic backing up behind a slow-moving car in the eastbound lane".
"The officer stopped the car and made contact with the operators to learn more about how it was choosing speeds along certain roadways and to educate the operators about impeding traffic," it added.
Google's fleet of self-driving cars are programmed to follow all traffic rules and regulations to the letter. However, this becomes a problem when they share the same road with human drivers who are erratic and generally don't follow all the rules.
In September, Google said it was working to make its autonomous cars drive "more humanistically".
Earlier, a Google self-driving car met with an accident when it unnecessarily braked at a pedestrian crossing and another vehicle went into the back of it.
Trending News
Latest News
Jafar Rizvi | Dec 2, 2025India-Spec Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Unveiled: Gets Up To 543 Km RangeThe e Vitara will be offered with two battery pack options and in three variants.4 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Dec 2, 2025Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Scores 5 Stars In Bharat NCAP Crash TestThe Maruti Suzuki e Vitara earned 5 stars in both adult and child occupant protection tests. The best score for a Maruti yet.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Dec 2, 2025Skoda Auto India Achieves 5 Lakh Units Sales MilestoneThe milestone comes after 25 years, with October 2025 emerging as the best month at 8,252 units sold.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Dec 2, 2025Two-Wheeler Sales November 2025: Most Manufacturers Report Double-Digit GrowthIn the penultimate month, major two-wheeler manufacturers reported varied performances, with most brands recording year-on-year growth across domestic and export markets, while a few saw marginal declines.4 mins read
Carandbike Team | Dec 2, 2025Adi Kailash Yatra On Four Wheels And A Battery!We recently drove a Mahindra BE 6 to Adi Kailash and Om Parvat, located in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Read on if the idea of driving an EV to forward locations bordering Tibet and Nepal, with no fast-charging infrastructure intrigues you.. or if you’ve been contemplating a similar adventure yourself.8 mins read
car&bike Team | Dec 2, 2025India-Spec Maruti Suzuki e Vitara To Be Unveiled Today: All You Need To KnowThe e Vitara is the carmaker’s first shot in the electric vehicle segment, and here is all you need to know about it.4 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Nov 29, 2025Mahindra XEV 9S First Drive Review: Big Electric SUV, Bigger ExpectationsThe XEV 9S lands at a time when the EV crowd is growing fast. It’s a big, born-electric, three-row SUV that starts under 20 lakh. It sits close to the XUV700 in size, but the brief is very different. Here’s what it’s like on the road.11 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Nov 26, 2025Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Battle Of India’s Electric TitansWhen India made two electric SUVs battle it out, the winner is the buyer. They get a choice to take home what’s best suited for them – and read on to find out which one is better for YOU.1 min read
Janak Sorap | Nov 19, 2025Hero Xpulse 210 Vs Kawasaki KLX 230 Comparison Review: Dual-Sport DilemmaWith a price difference of just Rs 12,000, which of the two dual-sport motorcycles is meant for you?1 min read
Jaiveer Mehra | Nov 17, 20252025 Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Review: Beast From The EastThe Land Cruiser name may have a long and storied history, but does it fit the bill for an Rs 2 crore-plus SUV in India?13 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Nov 17, 2025Kia Syros 1.0 Turbo Petrol: 6000 km Long-Term Review – Final Report!I lived with the Syros for more than 6000 km, over 3 months, and in this final report, I am going to talk about the Pros, the Cons, and everything in between.1 min read