美国内华达州机动车管理部门近日向谷歌颁发了首个自动驾驶汽车牌照，以进一步检验此类车辆在实际道路驾驶中的性能。该汽车牌照为红色，上面用无限大符号∞来与其它车辆进行区分。如果进展顺利，自动驾驶汽车有望于三到五年内面市。届时，自动驾驶车辆的车牌将会定为绿色。

据介绍，自动驾驶汽车其实是用自动驾驶仪来控制车辆，不需要人类驾驶员有任何操作，也不会像人类驾驶员那样容易分神。安装在车顶和保险杠上的激光雷达可以随时监测车辆周边行人和车辆的情况，并会在各类障碍物与车辆之间形成一个虚拟的缓冲区域，以使车辆能够安全避开。

Department of Motor Vehicles officials said Monday they've issued Google the nation's first license to test self-driving cars on public streets.

Nevada drivers could soon be sharing the road with vehicles that don't need them.

Department of Motor Vehicles officials said Monday they've issued Google the nation's first license to test self-driving cars on public streets, after conducting demonstrations on the Las Vegas Strip and in Carson City that show the car is as safe — or perhaps safer — than a human.

"It gets honked at more often because it's being safe," said Nevada DMV Director Bruce Breslow.

Self-driving vehicle technology works like auto-pilot to guide a car — in this case a modified Prius — with little or no intervention from a human operator. Laser radar mounted on the roof and in the grill detects pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles, creating a virtual buffer zone around the obstacles that the car then avoids.

While some envision the robotic car dropping off its operator at the front of the mall and hunting for a parking spot on its own, Breslow said not so fast.

Nevada's regulations require two people in the test cars at all times. One person is behind the wheel, while the other person monitors a computer screen that shows the car's planned route and keeps tabs on roadway hazards and traffic lights.

If there's a glitch, the human driver can override the autonomous auto with a tap on the brake or a hand on the steering wheel.

Last summer, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval took the car for a spin in and around the state's quiet capital city. But Las Vegas Boulevard, where costumed superheroes routinely take the crosswalks and massive billboards angle for the attention of starry-eyed tourists, was perhaps best suited to test the car's main purpose.

"They're designed to avoid distracted driving," Breslow said. "When you're on the Strip and there's a huge truck with a three scantily clad women on the side, the car only sees a box."

So far, Google's applied to license three test vehicles. Breslow said the cars will display red plates and an infinity symbol to represent their status as vehicles of the future.

Once they're ready for the market — something Breslow guesses could come in three to five years — the plates will be green.

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(Agencies)

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）