Self-driving Waymo car kills dog amid increasing concern over robotaxis

Collision occurred as canine ran out from behind another car, but autonomous vehicle could not stop in time to avoid contact

Waymo's self-driving car has been involved in a collision in San Francisco, resulting in the death of a small dog. The incident has raised concerns about the expansion of the company's driverless taxi services and has prompted protests from city officials.

The collision occurred on May 21st on Toland Street in San Francisco while the Waymo car was operating in "autonomous mode" with a test driver present in the front seat. According to Waymo, the car's system correctly identified the dog as it ran out from behind a parked car, but due to the speed at which the dog was moving, the car was unable to avoid the collision. Waymo is currently investigating the matter.

Expressing condolences to the dog's owner, a Waymo spokesperson emphasized the company's commitment to the safety of the communities it operates in and stated that they are looking into the incident.

The car, a Jaguar, sustained minor damage as a result of the collision, as reported by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

This collision comes at a time when Waymo and its competitor, Cruise, are aiming to expand their robotaxi operations in San Francisco. Waymo, owned by Alphabet (Google's parent company), and Cruise, operated by General Motors, are seeking approval from the California public utilities commission to operate their self-driving taxis round-the-clock throughout the entire city. However, local officials have opposed these plans, citing numerous incidents involving autonomous vehicles driving erratically, blocking traffic, and interfering with emergency response operations.

Previous incidents involving Cruise's autonomous vehicles have gained attention, including a viral video showing a driverless vehicle being pulled over by police for driving without headlights, only to speed away to the other side of the intersection. Another incident involved nearly 20 of Cruise's self-driving cars blocking traffic for hours, requiring manual intervention by the company's employees to clear the street.

San Francisco officials have also raised concerns about the lack of data transparency, reporting, and monitoring, urging the commission to deny the companies' requests for expanded operations.

As the commission is set to vote on June 29th regarding the approval of round-the-clock robotaxi services, the opposition from local officials highlights the need for comprehensive safety measures and public trust in autonomous vehicle technology.