A driverless Waymo car struck a cyclist in San Francisco, causing minor injuries. It was the latest accident in the city at a time when tensions over autonomous vehicles are particularly high after a driverless Cruise car hit a pedestrian.
the incident, Which was first reported by ReutersThe accident occurred at 3:02 pm on February 6 at the intersection of 17th Street and Mississippi Avenue in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. a Google Street View maps of the intersection It shows a flat, well-lit area surrounded by warehouses with unprotected bike lanes on both streets.
Police officers who arrived at the scene found that a cyclist had been struck by an autonomous vehicle, and only reported “non-life-threatening injuries,” according to Yves Laukwansathitaya, SFPD public information officer.
The cyclist only reported “non-life-threatening injuries.”
No one occupant of the Waymo vehicle was injured at the time of the accident. Lawkwansathitaya said the incident was still under investigation.
Waymo spokeswoman Giulia Elena had more details to share. The Waymo vehicle was stopped at a four-way stop, as an oncoming large truck began heading toward the intersection. The car waited until it was its turn, and then also began to drive through the intersection, not paying attention to the cyclist who was traveling behind the truck.
“The truck intercepted the cyclist and quickly followed him, crossing into the path of the Waymo vehicle,” Elena said. “When they became fully visible, our car applied heavy braking but was unable to avoid the collision.”
Elena added that after the accident, Waymo called the police, but the cyclist left on his own, reporting only “minor scratches.”
As self-driving cars appear in more cities around the world, such accidents are bound to increase. But since the technology is still new, it's important to examine minor breakdowns to ensure companies take appropriate action in their wake.
Last year, Waymo's main competitor, Cruise, was involved in a more serious accident in which a driver struck a pedestrian, sending it flying into the path of a self-driving car. Cruz's car then proceeded to stop on the side of the road, not realizing that the victim was still stuck underneath.
Details about the pedestrian who was towed were omitted from the company's initial statement about the incident. Some regulatory agencies have not received key footage from the car's cameras, including the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Cruise's permit to operate fully autonomous vehicles has been suspended, and the company has temporarily halted all operations nationwide.
Waymo reportedly has a better reputation than Cruise among regulators. The company certainly asserts that its vehicles are safer than human-driven vehicles. But city officials criticized the two companies for closing roads and obstructing buses and emergency vehicles.
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