Self-Driving Waymo Can't Avoid Crashing Into Cyclist

A driverless Waymo car collided with a cyclist in San Francisco on Tuesday. Reuters reported that the cyclist had minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Google owner Alphabet, said its vehicle was at a complete stop at a four-way intersection when the incident happened. After a large truck crossed the intersection in its direction, the vehicle might've thought that the coast was clear and moved forward, only to discover a cyclist hidden by the truck at the last second.

The self-driving robotaxi reportedly braked heavily but wasn't able to avoid the cyclist. The vehicle in question was not reported but we suspect it was a Jaguar I-Pace after the company retired its Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid fleet last year.

A 911 call was made when the incident happened, according to a San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson. Both the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the San Francisco Police Department are reviewing the incident.

This latest incident will only put the robotaxi business under even more scrutiny. Last month, the state of California sued California regulators over their decision to allow Waymo to expand its network in the city. If the state wins the court case, the Alphabet-owned robotaxi company would lose its permit to operate 24/7.

But Waymo isn't the only self-driving car company under fire for such incidents.

Cruise, a self-driving car company owned by General Motors, had its operations in California suspended due to safety concerns. Kyle Vogt later resigned as CEO, along with co-founder and chief product officer Daniel Kan. Reports also say the company is dialing back on its expansion plans amid the controversy, which would've put Cruise cars in 13 US cities.

Despite the concerns for self-driving cars, Waymo is looking to expand its driverless service in Los Angeles, with the state of Texas next on the list. The company is now testing rides and provides mobility services via invite only.