奔驰搭上自动驾驶快车

    萨苏哈表示，在明年前后，“几乎所有的汽车都会提供预先碰撞警报功能，供客户选择。”这是先进巡航控制技术的产物，可以通过安装的雷达把汽车速度控制在固定值，也可以避免过快地靠近前车。最新的系统会警告危险，并可能自动刹车。萨苏哈说：“第一批使用这种技术的是豪华轿车。不过2011年形势起了变化，因为美国的监管机构规定，汽车标签上必须注明车辆是否具有预先碰撞警报功能。”

    他预计，到2020年左右，汽车能够承担目前驾驶员所做的90%的工作，还能减少交通事故。人们是否愿意彻底放手，把剩下那10%也交给汽车，让汽车完全自动驾驶，而乘客只负责提供目的地？目前，这个问题仍然没有定论。

    译者：严匡正

    In the next year or so, Shashua said, "almost all cars will offer advance collision warning as an option." An outgrowth of advanced cruise control, in which a radar can be set to keep a car under a certain speed and also from advancing too quickly on a vehicle ahead, the latest systems warn of danger and may apply brakes. "The first models to get these technologies were luxury cars," said Shashua. "In 2011 things began to change as regulators in the U.S. said sticker must indicate the availability of forward collision warning."

    Toward the end of this decade, he forecasts, cars will be able to perform about 90% of the tasks now done by drivers, and with fewer accidents. Whether society wants to go the last 10% and allow cars to operate by themselves, with passengers only furnishing the destination, remains an open question.