Crowd sets Waymo self-driving car ablaze in San Francisco
In a shocking incident in San Francisco, a crowd vandalized a Waymo self-driving vehicle and set it on fire by throwing a firework inside the car. Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet, reported the incident, highlighting the increasing hostility towards self-driving cars. The severity of the attack may be attributed to the tragic pedestrian-dragging accident involving a self-driving vehicle operated by General Motors’ Cruise unit last year.
The incident occurred on Saturday night, with someone in the crowd breaking a car window and igniting the vehicle with a firework. Thankfully, the car was not transporting riders, and there were no reported injuries. Waymo is working closely with local safety officials to address the situation. The San Francisco fire department has handed over the case to the police for further investigation.
Video footage on social media captured the electric vehicle engulfed in flames, emitting a massive plume of black smoke. The fire department shared images of the charred remains, confirming that the blaze started from the firework inside the car. However, Waymo did not disclose the motive behind the attack.
This incident follows another recent collision involving a Waymo self-driving car and a cyclist in San Francisco, resulting in minor injuries. The incident is currently under review by the state’s auto regulator. Additionally, in October 2023, a pedestrian was struck by another vehicle and thrown into the path of a self-driving Cruise vehicle, leading to the suspension of driverless testing and the withdrawal of all Cruise’s U.S. self-driving vehicles.
These incidents raise concerns about the safety of self-driving cars and the need for stricter regulations. The public’s trust in autonomous vehicles seems to be diminishing, which could impact the future of this technology. Self-driving car companies will need to address these issues and win back public confidence to ensure the successful integration of self-driving cars into our daily lives.
Analyst comment
Negative news.
The incident highlights increasing hostility towards self-driving cars and raises concerns about their safety. The market for self-driving cars may face setbacks as public trust diminishes. Waymo and other self-driving car companies will need to address these issues to ensure successful integration.
