Autonomous Lexus Collides With Van
It seems another Google Self-Driving Car experienced an accident last Friday afternoon. A self-driving Lexus RX 450h hybrid sport utility sustained serious damage after a commercial van collided into it at the corner of W El Camino Real and Calderon Ave in Mountain View, California. This was the first accident in which the damage to the self-driving car was severe. Previous incidents have been minor.
Are Self-Driving Cars Safe?
Witnesses of the accident say that the autonomous vehicle was not at fault, because the van driver ran a red light, and hit the passenger side of the car. Luckily no one was injured, and all airbags were deployed.
Earlier this year, one of Google’s self-driving cars, another Lexus, did encounter its first at-fault accident with a bus along El Camino Real.
Google’s Statement
Google stated in https://9to5google.com/ that, “Thousands of crashes happen everyday on US roads, and red-light running is the leading cause of urban crashes in the US. Human error plays a role in 94% of these crashes, which is why we’re developing fully self-driving technology to make our roads safer.”
Department Of Transportation Statement
Before it can be determined if autonomous cars are safe for the roads, more data needs to be collected. Earlier this week, the United States Department of Transportation outlined a strict set of 15 safety assessment objectives which self-driving car manufacturers need to meet. The DOT is positive that these cars can be the solution to reducing auto collisions, and stated “automated vehicles hold enormous potential benefits for safety, mobility and sustainability.”
Do You Think These Autonomous Cars Are Safer?
We would like to get our readers’ thoughts on the safety of self-driving cars. Will it be safer to have fully autonomous vehicles on the road? How will this affect public transportion, Uber / Lyft, and auto collision repair businesses?
