Waymo’s Autonomous Test Vehicle Strikes and Kills Dog in San Francisco

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car unit, has been making headlines again after one of its autonomous test vehicles hit and killed a small dog in San Francisco last month. The incident report was filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and has since become public knowledge. While the accident is not as severe as the fatal crash in 2018 involving an Uber autonomous vehicle that killed a cyclist, it still raises concerns about the safety of self-driving cars and could harm public perception of the technology.

Unavoidable Accident

Waymo has called the accident “unavoidable,” and this may be true. The incident report suggests that the dog was off its leash and ran out into traffic, directly into the path of the autonomous vehicle. Most drivers have experienced a similar situation where an animal suddenly darts out into traffic, making it difficult to avoid a collision. However, this incident could still spell bad publicity for companies hoping to field self-driving vehicles with the public’s blessing.

Increase in Monthly Incident Reports

The accident is part of a sixfold increase in monthly incident reports issued by Waymo’s autonomous test vehicles. General Motors’ Cruise vehicles have also seen a dramatic uptick in negative encounters. It’s worth noting that both companies have been ramping up operations in preparation for the California Public Utilities Commission allowing autonomous robotaxi to run services 24 hours a day.

Investigation Ongoing

A Waymo spokesperson confirmed the incident details and said the company sends sincere condolences to the dog owner. “The investigation is ongoing, however, the initial review confirmed that the system correctly identified the dog, which ran out from behind a parked vehicle, but was not able to avoid contact,” a spokesperson said. “The trust and safety of the communities we are in is the most important thing to us, and we’re continuing to look into this on our end.”

AVs Behaving Erratically in Traffic

San Francisco officials have been backing annoyed locals who are bemoaning autonomous vehicles behaving erratically in traffic. Test vehicles sometimes make sudden stops when uncertain about how to navigate traffic, similar to what has been seen in Phoenix, Arizona. There have also been allegations made that the vehicles have interfered with public transit and emergency services.

Autonomous Vehicles Still Require Human Safety Drivers

Autonomous vehicles have not developed anywhere near the pace most companies had initially promised and typically require human safety drivers. However, companies like Waymo and Cruise have still made headway, offering an impressive experience for riders that is only undermined when the system seems to be at a loss of what to do next.

Public Perception of Self-Driving Cars

Hitting a dog is probably not grounds to pull the plug on autonomous vehicles, but it does offer those disinclined to want test-bed AVs operating near their homes more ammunition when criticizing the companies involved. Some believe that self-driving cars have not yet reached a point where they should be allowed to operate on public roads, and others believe the entire premise of autonomous vehicles represents an existential threat to humans that drive for a living.

California Public Utilities Commission to Back Companies

Regardless, it’s assumed that the California Public Utilities Commission will still back companies hoping to expand robotaxi operations in San Francisco, and a formal vote on the matter has been scheduled for June 29th.

Conclusion

The incident involving Waymo’s autonomous test vehicle striking and killing a small dog in San Francisco has raised concerns about the safety of self-driving cars and could harm public perception of the technology. While the accident is not as severe as the fatal crash in 2018 involving an Uber autonomous vehicle that killed a cyclist, it still offers critics more ammunition when criticizing the companies involved. However, it’s assumed that the California Public Utilities Commission will still back companies hoping to expand robotaxi operations in San Francisco, and a formal vote on the matter has been scheduled for June 29th.