Autonomous Vehicles

The public has come to expect autonomous vehicles to be perfect drivers. But if that safety bar is too high, where should it be set, experts considered at a recent national safety forum.

The proposed legislation would, its sponsor said, create a “clear and predictable framework” for autonomous vehicles. Opponents say it doesn’t do enough to safeguard road safety and jobs.

The taxis’ first day of operations in the city also yielded their first collision, a minor accident uptown. A human trainer was in the vehicle and the incident was not Waymo’s fault, a spokesperson said.

Authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport are scrutinizing three small electric shuttles. Testing will commence in earnest next month with an eye for weather conditions but sans actual passengers.

The self-driving taxi company is deploying about 10 vehicles in Chicago to start mapping the city’s streets — thus “laying the early groundwork” for future operations there — Waymo said Wednesday.

In testimony before the U.S. Senate, a top Waymo executive revealed that the autonomous vehicle company uses remote workers in the Philippines to assist its self-driving cars.

House Bill 4085 would allow companies such as Waymo to deploy null in Oregon with no human driver on board, including for delivery services or passenger rides.

The bill would authorize autonomous vehicle pilot programs in a handful of Illinois counties, including Cook, before opening the door to statewide legalization of self-driving cars in three years.

A Missouri bill would enable self-driving taxis but it would open roads to autonomous semitrucks, prompting pushback from commercial drivers. Supporters include disability rights advocates.

The robotaxi maker has been testing its newest vehicle on Texas streets since late December. Now, one of the cars has been spotted on a highway at night, which obscured any view of a driver.

More than 3,000 of the company’s self-driving taxis have been recalled after reports they passed stopped school buses improperly. A Nov. 17 software update may have led to the inappropriate action.

“Experiential learning” can let people discover technologies firsthand, a panelist said at the inaugural CoMotion GLOBAL conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Residents must be kept in mind, said another.

The autonomous taxi purveyor plans to add service in Orlando and other central Florida municipalities next year. Its rise has prompted questions about safety and hopes congestion could decline.

INRIX’s latest Global Traffic Scorecard finds U.S. traffic at a historic level so far this year. Autonomous vehicles and shared mobility could, however, be a counterbalance against private car use.

Before offering its self-driving taxi services, the company will dispatch its all-electric vehicles citywide with humans behind the wheel. It announced expansions into three other U.S. cities Wednesday.

Testing of its Jaguar I-Pace SUVs and Zeekr RT vehicles began Thursday. The driverless ride-hailing firm is still likely several months away from offering passenger service to residents.

The autonomous vehicle provider has begun giving rides to a select California customer group along area freeways. Its self-driving vehicles will ferry passengers to San Jose Mineta International Airport.

Self-driving vehicles from the California-based company have been on the move for months in the capital city. The state, however, does not yet have a government agency to provide independent regulatory oversight.