Waymo says expecting robotaxis not to block bike lanes is “too high a bar”
When your algorithm breaks the law and endangers lives to please the paying customer, you may need to think long and hard.
Self-driving cars were supposed to fix human error. Instead, Waymo is building it in, telling cyclists that expecting robotaxis to stay out of bike lanes is simply “too high a bar.”
Speaking to Streets Blog NYC, Christopher White, executive director of the San Francisco Bike Coalition, said that Waymo has told campaigners that it is “normal practice” for the autonomous vehicles to veer into bike lanes and block cycling infrastructure.
“People always point out that unlike human driven cars, the AVs stop at lights and obey the speed limit,” White said.
“However, they are really only as good and effective and safe as they are programmed to be. Waymos pull over into bike lanes all the time for pickups and drop-offs and that’s neither legal nor safe.
“But the companies say that is a normal practice and that’s what customers expect.”
When your algorithm breaks the law and endangers lives to please the paying customer, you may need to think long and hard.