This incident highlights growing public hostility towards self-driving cars, following a pedestrian-dragging accident last year involving a vehicle operated by General Motors’ Cruise unit. In previous instances in San Francisco and Phoenix, Arizona, groups have disrupted self-driving vehicles by blocking their path, attempting to enter the vehicles, and jumping on their hoods. The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the cause of the fire, and it is unclear if any arrests have been made.
Key takeaways:
- A Waymo self-driving car was vandalized and set on fire by a crowd in San Francisco's Chinatown district during Lunar New Year celebrations.
- The vehicle was not transporting any passengers at the time and no injuries have been reported.
- This incident marks the most destructive attack on driverless vehicles in the U.S. to date, highlighting potential public hostility towards such technology.
- Waymo, owned by Alphabet, offers driverless ride-hailing service in Phoenix and is working to expand the service to Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.