The accident has led to calls for stricter regulations of driverless cars, with labor organizations arguing they threaten jobs of drivers. A new bill in the California Legislature could grant cities and counties the authority to regulate or ban companies like Waymo. The incident follows a previous accident involving a Cruise robotaxi, which dragged a pedestrian down a street after failing to stop.
Key takeaways:
- An autonomous Waymo car hit a cyclist in San Francisco, causing minor injuries. The vehicle failed to spot the cyclist who was behind a truck at an intersection.
- Waymo reported the incident to the police and relevant authorities, and it is expected that video footage of the incident will be available.
- The incident comes as Waymo is looking to expand its driverless robotaxi service in Los Angeles and Austin, despite facing resistance from labor organizations and potential regulatory changes.
- Waymo insists its robotaxis are safer than human drivers, citing over 7 million driverless miles with only this incident, but this claim may now face more scrutiny.