California to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws
California to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws
加州将开始对违反交通法规的无人驾驶汽车开出罚单
Driverless cars are becoming more common in some California cities, but when the autonomous vehicles violate traffic laws, police haven’t been able to ticket them - until now. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has announced new regulations on autonomous vehicles (AVs), including a process for police to issue a “notice of AV noncompliance” directly to the car’s manufacturer.
无人驾驶汽车在加州的一些城市正变得越来越普遍，但当这些自动驾驶车辆违反交通法规时，警方此前一直无法对其开出罚单——不过这种情况即将改变。加州机动车管理局（DMV）宣布了针对自动驾驶汽车（AV）的新规，其中包括一套允许警方直接向汽车制造商发出“自动驾驶违规通知”的流程。
The new rules, which will go into effect 1 July, are part of a larger 2024 law that imposed deeper regulation on the technology. There have been a number of reports of the cars breaking traffic laws, including during a San Francisco blackout last year.
这些将于 7 月 1 日生效的新规，是 2024 年一项旨在加强该技术监管的更广泛法律的一部分。此前已有多次关于无人驾驶汽车违反交通法规的报道，其中包括去年旧金山停电期间发生的事件。
The California DMV is calling the new rules “the most comprehensive AV regulations in the nation”.
加州机动车管理局称这些新规为“全美最全面的自动驾驶汽车监管条例”。
Under the new rules, police can cite AV companies when their vehicles commit moving violations. The rules will also require the companies to respond to calls from police and other emergency officials within 30 seconds, and will issue penalties if their vehicles enter active emergency zones.
根据新规，当自动驾驶车辆出现违章驾驶行为时，警方可以对自动驾驶公司进行传唤。新规还要求这些公司在 30 秒内响应警方及其他应急官员的呼叫，如果车辆进入正在执行任务的紧急区域，公司还将面临处罚。
“California continues to lead the nation in the development and adoption of AV technology, and these updated regulations further demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a press release.
加州机动车管理局局长史蒂夫·戈登（Steve Gordon）在新闻稿中表示：“加州在自动驾驶技术的开发和应用方面继续处于全国领先地位，这些更新后的法规进一步彰显了加州对公共安全的承诺。”
Waymo is one of the main operators of fully self-driving robotaxis in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County, but several companies, including Tesla, also have permits to test their AVs in some California cities. The BBC has contacted Waymo and Tesla for comment.
Waymo 是旧金山湾区和洛杉矶县全自动驾驶出租车的主要运营商之一，但包括特斯拉在内的多家公司也获得了在加州部分城市测试其自动驾驶汽车的许可。BBC 已联系 Waymo 和特斯拉寻求置评。
When the vehicles violate traffic laws, some police have been stumped as to how to hold the driverless cars accountable.
当这些车辆违反交通法规时，一些警察曾因不知该如何追究无人驾驶汽车的责任而感到困惑。
In an incident last September, police officers in San Bruno - a city south of San Francisco - noticed a Waymo AV making an illegal U-turn at a light directly in front of them, the San Bruno Police Department said at the time. But when officers stopped the car, they were not able to issue a ticket without a driver to give it to. Instead, they contacted the company about the “glitch”.
在去年 9 月发生的一起事件中，圣布鲁诺（旧金山以南的一座城市）的警官注意到一辆 Waymo 自动驾驶汽车在他们面前的红绿灯处违规掉头。据圣布鲁诺警察局当时表示，当警官拦下该车时，由于车内没有驾驶员，他们无法开出罚单。最终，他们只能就这一“故障”联系了该公司。
In December, a massive blackout in San Francisco left a number of Waymo vehicles stalled in the middle of busy intersections, worsening an already congested traffic situation. San Francisco Fire Department officials have also repeatedly complained about robotaxis getting in the way of emergency responses.
去年 12 月，旧金山发生大面积停电，导致多辆 Waymo 汽车停在繁忙的十字路口中间，加剧了本已拥堵的交通状况。旧金山消防局的官员也多次抱怨自动驾驶出租车阻碍了紧急救援行动。