Google blames heavy and unpredictable traffic for an accident caused by one of its self driving cars. Google came out and called it a tricky traffic conditions, a Google self driving car; 2012 Lexus RX450h hit the side of a bus, according to an accident report that Google filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
What happened
Traveling on a multi-lane road in Mountain View, California, the Google vehicle signaled to make a right turn at a red light and moved into the right side of the lane. Sand bags around a storm drain were blocking its path, so it couldn’t proceed. When the light turned green, the Google car waited for a few cars to pass and then began moving back into the middle of the lane to pass the sand bags. At the same time, a public transit bus was approaching from behind. The Google car expected the bus to stop or slow down to let it into the traffic flow. That didn’t happen. Instead, the self-driving vehicle hit the side of the bus as it was moving back into the middle of the lane.
At the time of the accident, Google vehicle was traveling at 2 mph, while the bus was going at around 15 mph. The Google sustained minor injuries and no one was hurt.
Now, Google self driving car can share the road with other cars without causing too much drama on the road. Contrary to that, Kenya has incorporated technology in vehicles. Safaricom and service providers came up with an initiative of providing free WIFI to road users. The WIFI never worked since it’s hard to maintain. In addition, the WIFI was a distraction to drivers and passengers.
Tech companies and automakers such as Toyota, Nissan, Audi and BMW are planning to hit the roads with their own self-driving cars in the next several years, the safety performance of current test vehicles is under intense scrutiny.
The authority is currently investigating the accident, but Google has accepted at least some role in the incident.
“This is a classic example of the negotiation that’s a normal part of driving — we’re all trying to predict each other’s movements,” Google said in its monthly report. “In this case, we clearly bear some responsibility, because if our car hadn’t moved there wouldn’t have been a collision. That said, our test driver believed the bus was going to slow or stop to allow us to merge into the traffic, and that there would be sufficient space to do that.”
