■事故中被撞至面目全非的Tesla電動車。 網上圖片【原文】下文摘錄自香港《文匯報》2017年9月14日報道：
美國國家運輸安全委員會（NTSB)（National Transportation Safety Board）9月12日指出，去年Tesla電動車（electric car）發生的一宗致命車禍，汽車自動輔助駕駛（Autopilot）功能是造成車禍的原因之一，稱Tesla的半自動（semi-automatic）技術，讓司機可長時間不把雙手放在軚盤（steering wheel）上，並忽略自駕（self-driving）系統的警告。今次是美國官方首次判定Tesla需為該宗事故承擔部分責任。
手離軚盤 屢無視警告出事
事件於去年5月在佛羅里達州（Florida）發生，40歲司機布朗的電動車與貨車相撞，布朗重傷身亡。NTSB官員認為，自駕功能可能會被用於不是為其設計的路段（roadway），而且判斷司機是否將雙手放軚盤上的偵測系統（detection system），也難以衡量司機清醒程度（mental status）。當時布朗過於依賴（dependent）上述技術，而沒了解技術局限性（constraint），Tesla也應採取更多舉措，預防自駕功能被誤用。
布朗出事時，自駕系統曾7次發出警告（warning），但布朗均未有回應及改回人手操作。事發後Tesla提升系統，若司機漠視（ignore）3次警告，便會自動關掉汽車。Tesla發言人（spokesperson）未就NTSB的判斷置評。
整體從輕監管免礙發展
儘管政府調查人員（investigator）指出，Tesla的自駕技術要為去年佛州一宗致命交通事故負責，但特朗普政府（Trump administration）9月12日稱，針對自動駕駛汽車，聯邦政府（U.S. Federal Government）將保持監管（regulation）從輕的政策取向。
美國運輸部（U. S. Transportation Department）部長趙小蘭（Elaine L. Chao）公佈為自動駕駛汽車公司制訂的修訂版指引（guideline），將前總統奧巴馬年代要求自駕車作路面測試前，需跟隨15項安全評估，減至12項，由聯邦政府而非州政府決定自駕車是否安全的條款則保留。
趙小蘭稱，修訂版指引目標是為研發公司的道路測試提供指導（guidance）意見，但她稱政府不應為技術創新（innovation）進程，製造無必要（unnecessary）或意料之外（unexpected）的障礙（obstacle）。
美國多個州（state）正制訂規管（monitor）自駕車公司公路測試的法例，但國家公路交通安全管理局（National Highway Traffic Safety Administration）表示，不希望科技發展因各州紛紛出台法例而遭阻礙。
Tesla condemned of death of driver who put hands off auto-steering wheel
【譯文】The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said on September 12 that the Autopilot function innovated by the electric car manufacturer Tesla was one of the factors contributing to a fatal crash back in 2016. They said the semi-automatic technology allowed drivers to keep their hands off the steering wheel for a considerable time and to neglect the warnings of the self-driving system.
This is the first time the U.S. government deemed the company partially responsibe for the accident.
Seven warnings did not work out
The car accident happened in Florida in May last year, in which an electric vehicle plowed into a truck and Brown, the driver, was killed. The NTSB officials believe that the self-driving mechanism could be used outside of the roadways for which it is designed, and it can be difficult for the detection system to assess one's mental status by simply detecting whether the driver is holding the steering wheel.
The board faulted Brown for being too dependent on the self-driving system to realize its constraints, but pressed Tesla to improve the technology to prevent misuse.
It is found that the Autopilot system had issued seven warnings before the crash, during which Brown did not respond and kept his hands clear of the wheel. Tesla has upgraded the system after the accident, including the measure to stop the car if the driver ignores three warnings. Tesla spokesperson refused to comment on the NTSB report.
No severe regulations ahead
Although the government investigators pointed out that Tesla's Autopilot should be responsible for the fatal accident, the Trump administration said on the same day that the U.S. Federal Government would not impose severe regulations on the development of self-driving cars.
The Secretary of the U.S. Transportation Department Elaine L. Chao have unveiled revised guidelines for testing autonomous vehicles. The guidelines have reduced the assessment items on the on-road safety checklist-developed by the former Obama administration-from 15 to 12, but it remains unchanged that whether self-driving vehicles are up to standard is subject to the deliberation of the Federal Government instead of the state governments. She said that the new version would serve as a guidance document only, and the government should not create unnecessary or unexpected obstacles amidst technological progress.
Many states of the U.S. are drafting policies to monitor the on-road safety tests led by various autonomous vehicle companies, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has expressed concern that technological advancement may be hindered by the related measures.■龐嘉儀
Q&A
1. 第一輛無人駕駛汽車產生於什麼年代？
2. 無人駕駛汽車以什麼技術來感測四周環境？
3. 美國哪個部門曾就自動駕駛制定了0至5等級的分類？
4. 在歐洲，哪些國家計劃在交通運輸系統採用無人駕駛汽車？
5. 目前哪個國家允許無人駕駛汽車在一般道路上進行測試？
1. 1980年代
2. 雷達（Radar）、光學雷達（Lidar）、全球定位系統（GPS）等
3. 美國國家公路交通安全管理局（National Highway Traffic Safety Administration）
4. 比利時、法國、意大利、英國等
5. 英國
