KQED – Waymo, Uber, Lyft to Expand on SF’s Market Street, Despite Pushback From Transit Groups
KQED reports that San Francisco is planning on letting all commercial vehicles on "car-free" Market Street based on completely flawed testing.
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 MoreKQED – Waymo, Uber, Lyft to Expand on SF’s Market Street, Despite Pushback From Transit Groups
CBS Austin – Waymo vehicles caught illegally passing AISD school buses 19 times since August 1
CBS Austin reports video evidence of Waymo vehicles illegally passing school buses 19 times. Further evidence that Waymo vehicles simply are not designed to follow traffic safety laws.
NBC News – Driverless Waymo vehicle goes through tense police stop in L.A.
NBC News reports on how a Waymo vehicle blithely drove into a police situation where the police had their guns drawn. It is clear that Waymos cannot handle unusual situations, especially when first responders are involved.
NYT Opinion – The Data on Self-Driving Cars Is Clear. We Have to Change Course.
While the title is correct, we do need to change course, the opinion piece is just another tech fantasy. The truth is that the data show that the solution for safety is clearly better designed streets and better safety policies. Simply look at Europe to see how safety can be greatly improved through street design, not robotaxis.
Mission Local – Waymo hits dog in S.F. weeks after killing Mission bodega cat
Waymo involved in yet another crash, this one killing a dog. The vehicles are clearly not the answer when it comes to improving safety.
NY Times – Self-Driving Taxis Are Catching On. Are You Ready?
NY Times reports on how there are more and more robotaxis, and they take a ride on a Zoox.
Austin American-Statesman – Tesla reports 4 Austin robotaxi crashes in September as it preps to remove safety monitors
Waymo, the industry leader, reported 9 crashes. It has nearly four times as many autonomous ride-hailing vehicles operating in the city. Editors note: Tesla’s robotaxis have had 7 crashes since their service started and 4 in September alone. And this is with “safety drivers” as backup. It is quite clear…
Reddit – My Tesla Robotaxi “safety” driver fell asleep
Tesla can't even be bothered to have a "safety" driver that actually provides safety.
SF Chronicle – A Waymo robotaxi killed a beloved S.F. cat. Now a city supervisor wants driverless car reform
SF Chronicle reports on on Supervisor Jackie Fielder of San Francisco is trying to push for state legislation to allow local control of robotaxis. This was motivated by Waymo killing a beloved bodega cat.
KRON – Waymo pledges donation after beloved San Francisco corner store cat struck, killed
KRON reports that Waymo acknowledges that one of their robotaxis struck and killed a beloved cat. But hey, they promise to make a donation to an unrelated cause.
SF Standard – Waymo robotaxi kills ‘one-of-a-kind’ bodega cat, owner claims
SF Standard reports that a Waymo robotaxi ran over and killed a beloved bodega cat. Apparently this was to even the score after a Waymo killed a dog back in '23.
The Lever – Robotaxis’ Dream Regulator Takes The Wheel
The Lever reports that a regulator, who is more interested in promoting rather than regulating AVs, has been appointed as the new head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fast Company – Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ service is no Waymo
Fast Company reports on taking the Tesla "robotaxi" service in the Bay Area, and concludes that it simply isn't a real service. Limited availability, long wait times, and of course the human in the driver seat. Smoke and mirrors.
ArsTechnica – Tesla FSD gets worse at driving, NHTSA opens new investigation
ArsTechnica reports on how Tesla FSD has actually been performing worse lately. And the NHTSA opens up a new investigation due to numerous reports of FSD traffic violations.
Reuters – US probes driver assistance software in 2.9 million Tesla vehicles over traffic violations
Reuters reports that NHTSA is once again investigating problems with the Tesla FSD system, this time due to numerous reported traffic violations and crashes.
