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.
Latest News
Jafar Rizvi | Feb 7, 2026Nissan Gravite Interior Spotted Ahead Of February 17 DebutThe Gravite’s interior appears to carry over the familiar layout from the pre-facelift Renault Triber, with only minor updates expected.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Feb 7, 2026Jawa 730 Twin UnveiledJawa Moto has introduced the 730 Twin, the fourth model in its lineup to be based on the 750 platform.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026Indian Motorcycle Parts Ways With PolarisAs America’s first motorcycle brand prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary, Indian Motorcycle has parted ways with former parent Polaris to become an independent company.1 min read
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026BMW F 450 GS Based Sportbike Spotted On TestThe upcoming supersport machine is expected share the same parallel-twin engine with the upcoming BMW F 450 GS.1 min read
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026Tata Sierra Bookings Cross 1 Lakh Mark; Production Ramped UpWith bookings now in six-digit territory, Tata Motors is moving ahead with a phased ramp-up in production, while working through supplier-related constraints.1 min read
car&bike Team | Feb 6, 2026Mahindra To Set Up Its Biggest Automobile Plant In Nagpur; Production To Begin In 2028The new facility will support next-generation platforms from the brand and will be capable of manufacturing multiple powertrains including ICE, EV & future technologies1 min read
Bilal Firfiray | Feb 4, 2026Volkswagen Tayron R-Line Review: Sensible Flagship For IndiaVolkswagen has introduced a made-in-India flagship SUV that offers space, comfort, performance, and German driving finesse in a practical three-row package. But is the Tayron R-Line good enough?6 mins read
Preetam Bora | Feb 2, 2026TVS NTorq 150 Road Test Review: Bigger, Better & More Efficient!We test the new TVS NTorq 150 out in the real world to get a sense of what it offers in terms of performance, dynamics and fuel economy.7 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Jan 21, 2026Tata Punch Facelift Review: New Turbo Engine; Same Old SoulWith the update, the Tata Punch facelift retains its character of being a healthy runabout, which is perfect for Indian roads. But have these changes made it any better?7 mins read
Amaan Ahmed | Jan 17, 2026Bajaj Chetak C25 First Ride Review: Basic, Likeable E-Scooter For First-Time RidersThe Chetak C25, in quite a few ways, is poles apart from the larger and more powerful 30 and 35 Series models, but in its mannerisms, it is very much a Chetak.8 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Jan 9, 2026Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder: 10,000 km Long-Term ReviewAfter spending over three months and 10,000 km with the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid, we were impressed by its real-world mileage, seamless hybrid, practical comfort, and Toyota reliability. Is it the best C-SUV then?5 mins read