CAR WITHOUT DRIVER ESCAPED FROM THE POLICE
They didn't understand each other very well.
One of the companies that allow taxis without a driver, recently had a close encounter with the police, creating a weird and comical situation.
Cruise has been providing its driverless taxi services in San Francisco for two months now, and they have already had the opportunity to meet with police due to the lights being turned off.
After police stopped the Chevy Bolt Cruise vehicle, a police officer approached the window and tried unsuccessfully to open the vehicle door. He then turned to return to his vehicle, and the autonomous Cruise taxi slowly began to pull away.
In 99% of cases, this is an ideal scenario for a police chase, but the taxi stopped shortly afterward and turned on all four turn signals.
The policeman approached again, got out of the car, and turned around, probably trying to find out how the car could turn on the lights that stopped him.
According to a Cruise spokesman, their vehicle did not try to escape, as it seemed, but headed for a safer stopping location. They also stated that the vehicle was stopped due to the lights not being turned on and that the problem had been resolved.
They added that the police contacted the representatives of Cruise and that this time they avoided punishment because they are cooperating with the police, who know what interaction they can have with their cars and what number they should turn in such situations.
Cruise uses LiDAR technology for autonomous driving, and since 2017. These vehicles have been available to their employees, and two months ago, this company launched a taxi service in San Francisco.
On the other hand, autonomous vehicles record seriously good results in races in which they behave much better than human drivers. See what it looks like.
What is worrying is the fact that the headlights did not work on the Cruise vehicle, although for now they are only allowed to drive between 22:00 and 06:00, which is a time when the lights are very important.
Whether it's a light breakdown or a software bug, the company remains to investigate, but it would be wise to address these key aspects and warning systems that check that everything in the car is working before they go out on the street.
Proper functioning of cars that have the ability to drive autonomously is important, both for safety and for the general perception of these vehicles in public.
It should not be forgotten that a self-driving Uber taxi hit and killed a pedestrian in 2018 due to a software error that shut down the factory's automatic braking system.
