Pay as you drive insurance news
09/11/2010
Googlebots can drive themselves
Some people who think pay as you drive insurance is a technological step too far in removing independence from motorists are likely to be even more wary of the latest driving development in the United States. Yes, Googlemobiles have taken to the roads of California with a robot behind the wheel.
Google, which is pioneering the self-driving cars, has sent out the Googlemobiles, accompanied by a real driver for safety's sake, to test the concept which uses data accumulated by the search engine giant for its maps in order to detect the correct directions to travel.
A range-finding laser is designed to prevent a collision with moving traffic and, so far, the only road traffic accident to occur was when another motorist drove into the rear of a Googlemobile.
The motivation for development of the Googlebots and Googlemobiles is to make driving more relaxing and it could even lead to cheaper car insurance if the rate of accidents lowers once they are allowed onto the roads.
However, the robots are unlikely to respond to the cash-saving appeal of restricted hours car insurance, but their minders could programme them to comply with the pay as you drive insurance rules far easier than persuading a human.
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