Cruise’s autonomous cars are not currently operating in San Francisco after the California DMV canceled its permit following a collision with a pedestrian last fall. But that doesn’t mean the city’s residents are entirely protected from robotaxi-related scares. This week, one of Waymo’s cars collided with a cyclist, though fortunately no one was seriously hurt in the smash.
The accident happened at a four-way intersection, where the driverless Waymo cab was initially completely stationary. The firm, which is currently expanding its service to include Los Angeles, explained to Reuters that a large truck turned into the intersection, at which point the robotaxi began to move forward. But a cyclist was behind the truck, unseen by the Waymo’s computer driver – and we imagine it would have been unseen by a real driver, too.
When the Waymo spotted the bike it quickly applied the brakes, the firm said, but by that point, it was too late to avoid a collision. Though a 911 call was made, the rider only suffered minor cuts and didn’t need to be transported to the hospital. They later left the scene on their own, Reuters reports.
Related: Waymo To Expand Robotaxi Service Into Los Angeles
Though this incident was far less serious than the one involving a Cruise Chevy Bolt dragging a pedestrian along the road last October, and also less serious than dozens of accidents that probably occur in San Francisco every day due to human driver error, it’s still another black mark against robotaxis that strengthens the arguments of critics who think the technology isn’t sufficiently advanced to make driverless cabs safe.
Waymo’s rival Cruise is the subject of probes by the U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission following its October crash and fired multiple senior execs in an effort to win back the trust of the public and regulators.