Waymo's Self-Driving Cars Under Investigation by U.S. Safety Regulators 🚨
Hey there, tech enthusiasts! Remember when we thought self-driving cars were the future? Well, the future's here, but it might have hit a bit of a speed bump. 🛑
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is taking a closer look at Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet (you know, Google's parent company). Why? Turns out there have been some not-so-cool incidents where Waymo's robotaxis showed some \"unsafe driving behaviors,\" including 17 collisions! 😬
What's Going On? 🤔
Since May, the NHTSA has been digging into reports that Waymo's autonomous vehicles (AVs) sometimes do things that competent human drivers wouldn't—like crashing into objects that are clearly visible. Yikes!
They're asking Waymo to spill the tea by August 6, providing all the deets about where their driverless cars have been cruising and what they've been doing to fix these issues. The concern is that these unexpected moves by the AVs could up the risk of accidents, property damage, or even injuries, especially around pedestrians and other road users. 🚶♂️🚴♀️
Not Just Waymo 🚗
Waymo isn't the only player under the microscope. The NHTSA is also checking out other self-driving companies like General Motors' Cruise and Amazon's Zoox. Seems like the race to a driverless future is hitting some roadblocks. 🛣️
Waymo's Response 💬
Earlier this month, Waymo said they're \"proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven.\" They did, however, recall 444 self-driving vehicles back in February after two minor fender benders in Arizona due to a software glitch. Software updates, am I right? 🤷♀️
So, what's next? We'll have to wait and see how Waymo addresses these concerns and what the future holds for autonomous vehicles. Buckle up, folks—the ride's getting interesting! 🚀
Reference(s):
U.S. agency seeks answers from Waymo in self-driving vehicle probe
cgtn.com
