Besides convenience, one of the main benefits of self-driving cars is supposed to be safety.
Yet in a bizarre move, Waymo — whose self-driving cabs had been enjoying extraordinary safety metrics — has just taken steps to make its robotaxis more human-like, eroding the safety narrative that’s been central to the autonomous vehicle narrative.
Recent reporting by The Wall Street Journal observed a startling change in Waymos’ road etiquette, a new aggressive streak that would make a BMW driver blush. These include illegal U-turns, aggressive lane switching, rolling through cross walks, and running red lights.
“It’s driving more like a taxi driver — an aggressive, New York taxi driver,” said Sophia Yen, who watched in awe as two Waymos zig-zagged between lanes in a high-speed game of chicken back in September.
The new behavior is the result of an effort to make Waymos “confidently assertive,” according to Chris Ludwick, senior director of product management with Waymo. In an interview with the WSJ, Ludwick said changes were needed to avoid disruptions caused by Waymo’s previously cautious behavior.
“The driver is designed to respect the rules of the road. However, sometimes this is a nuanced topic and road rules can even conflict with each other,” he said. As an example, Ludwick pointed to delivery trucks stopped in a lane. Drivers aren’t supposed to cross the double yellow line into the opposite lane, but when it’s between that or obstructing traffic, humans know to carefully pass. Now Waymos do too.
Of course, Waymo’s newfound confidence comes with some drawbacks.
Recently, the company made headlines in San Francisco after one of its vehicles struck a dog laying in the middle of the road. That was just weeks after another Waymo killed a well-known neighborhood cat, sparking something of an anti-Waymo campaign in San Francisco.
Other incidents resulting from Waymo’s new fearless streak abound, like when one of the vehicles strolled past a red light and into an active police standoff earlier this week.
As the WSJ notes, police in California can’t issue a traffic citation to a driverless car. That’s about to change, however — and not a moment too soon.
More on Waymo: Waymo CEO Says Society Is Ready for One of Its Cars to Kill Someone
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