AP – Tesla in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist was using self-driving system, authorities say
AP reports that a Tesla driver using FSD struck an killed a motorcyclist in the Seattle area.
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Robotaxi.news
Are robotaxis the future? Or instead, the past?
Safety
All the robotaxi companies claim that their safety is much better than obsolete human drivers. But are they really safer given that they seem to crash so often? This clearly needs to be investigated further.
Read MoreAP – Tesla in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist was using self-driving system, authorities say
Wall Street Journal – The Hidden Autopilot Data That Reveals Why Teslas Crash
Wall Street Journal created two fascinating videos showing how investigators were able to obtain hidden Autopilot videos showing why Teslas have crashed. This is information that Tesla has tried to keep hidden, but hackers to the rescue. Tesla not using LiDAR sensors has been a deadly mistake.
NBC Bay Area – SF mayor promises accountability after school crossing guards tell NBC Bay Area driverless cars almost hit them
NBC Bay Area reports that numerous crossing guards in San Francisco have reported close calls with Waymo robotaxis. City leaders, including the mayor, vow to hold Waymo accountable.
NY Times – G.M. Will Restart Cruise Taxi Service
NY Times reports that Cruise has restarted operations in Dallas, Houston and Phoenix, though with human safety drivers. Article also reports that Cruise has lost $500 million for the first 6 months of 2024.
Washington Post – Tesla sells ‘Self-Driving’ cars. Is it fraud?
Washington Post reports on how Tesla claims of 'self-driving' cars is now being called, by some, "fraud". An excellent article that explains the legal jeopardy that Tesla has been placed into by its CEO.
Business Insider – Tesla prioritizes Musk’s and other ‘VIP’ drivers’ data to train self-driving software
Article from Business Insider on how Tesla skews the data processing for their FSD system such that Elon Musk and "influencers" receive priority. This of course results in Musk and the influencers experiencing a completely skewed reality, which means that their statements on FSD are simply invalid.
Washington Post – Cyclists can’t decide whether to fear or love self-driving cars
Washington Post reports that "cyclists can't decide whether to fear or love self-driving cars" and then reports that most cyclists really don't think they are safe. Peculiar. They should have mentioned that the real problem with robotaxis is that it just means more cars, and all cars are a problem.
Fox 10 Phoenix – Driverless Waymo pulled over by Phoenix Police
From Fox 10 in Phoenix. Not only did the police have to pull over another Waymo for driving dangerously, it was because once again the vehicle crossed the center line and drove into oncoming traffic.
ABC 7 – Tesla Autopilot leads driver onto active train tracks after mistaking it for road
ABC7 reports on how a Tesla on Auto Pilot turned onto railroad tracks of an active train line.
Tesla very confused about usefulness of Lidar
Lidar is essential for a safe robotaxi system since computer vision is completely inadequate for detecting certain objects, such as pedestrians at night, or even large semi-trucks crossing the road. But Elon Musk and Tesla are actively refusing to work towards creating a safe autonomous vehicle system.
Senator Cortese statement on the ‘Gutting’ of Key Vehicle Safety Legislation: SB 915
Unfortunately SB 915, legislation to allow local regulations for AVs, was pulled by the author due to other legislatures gutting it. The press release by Senator Cortese is provided here so that readers can understand what happened.
AZFamily 5 – Toddler trapped in car when Tesla battery dies in Scottsdale
AZFamily 5 reports on how a grandmother loaded her grandchild into a Tesla and walked around to the drivers door but was locked out due to battery having died without sending any warning notifications. Such a safety failure could have easily been deadly.
NY Times – China Is Testing More Driverless Cars Than Any Other Country
See original article by Keith Bradsher at NY Times Assisted driving systems and robot taxis are becoming more popular with government help, as cities designate large areas for testing on public roads. The world’s largest experiment in driverless cars is underway on the busy streets of Wuhan, a city in…
NY Times – How Safe Are Driverless Cars in China? I Rode in Some to See.
NY Times reports on how in China there is greater support for autonomous vehicles, but that the government censors news media and social media so that people are not aware of the crashes and deaths.
TheVerge – Waymo issues software and mapping recall after robotaxi crashes into a telephone pole
The Verge reports that Wayside mo has issued a software update after one of their vehicles crashed into a stationary pole. But Waymo never mentions why the vehicle crashed into a large stationary pole, which shouldn't have happened regardless of mapping or configuration issues.
