Google’s self-driving car hits public bus on Valentine’s Day, causes first accident

By Steve Pak, | February 29, 2016

Google Self-Driving Car

Google Self-Driving Car

A Google self-driving car recently hit a public bus while it was in autonomous mode on a road in Mountain View, California. The minor accident happened on Valentine's Day and the Alphabet company has submitted a report to California's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This was not the first time a driverless car has been in an accident but it was the first time it caused one.   

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Google has admitted it was in part responsible for the accident. Its robotic car was moving at 2 mph and the bus was rolling at 15 mph.

The DMV report states the Google car had some damage on the left front wheel and fender, and a driver's-side sensor, according to Mashable. However, none of the 15 passengers or the driver on the public bus was injured. The bus experienced minor damage.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) spokeswoman Stacey Hendler Ross stated the VTA is conducting an investigation. It still has to study many pieces of information.    

Google states the crash is related to a common misunderstanding between human drivers. The self-driving car was trying to move around some sandbags when it hit the right side of the bus.

 The human drivers of the autonomous vehicles can take control of the cars when necessary. However, in this case he did not because he thought the bus would yield to the car.

The event might not become an at-fault accident since the damage was minor and it is possible neither Google nor VTA will pursue the matter.

In other Google self-driving car news, the head of the company's autonomous vehicle division recently asked federal regulators to allow vehicles without a steering wheel. Google's Chris Urmson has also argued that no driverless car should have them.

In an interview with NPR Urmson said no human controls should be included in the cars, according to Gizmodo. He argued they were unnecessary like an extra steering wheel or brake pedal in the back of a taxi.  

Google has requested National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to end the requirement of a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal in self-driving cars. For now NHTSA only allows companies to break the rules when testing new safety tech.


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