SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A Waymo self-driving car hit and killed a small dog in San Francisco last month, according to a newly released report from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
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The accident adds to the tensions over increased deployment of robo-taxis in the city. Waymo — formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project — and Cruise want to expand their services, but San Francisco doesn't think it's safe.
"We're experiencing a massive amount of traffic disruption as a result of these autonomous vehicles bricking up our streets," said Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of Transportation at SFMTA.
The death of the small dog occurred in an industrial neighborhood east of Bernal Heights in late May. The Waymo vehicle was traveling in autonomous mode when it struck the dog, which was off-leash.
In a statement, Waymo said the vehicle correctly identified the dog, but it was unable to avoid contact with the animal.
Currently, any accident involving a self-driving vehicle gets reported to the state, but SF officials are concerned that the reporting process lacks firm regulation.
"We are so eager to have autonomous vehicles working in San Francisco and helping us to solve safety problems in our streets, but we have no regulatory authority over them," Tumlin said.
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