The self-driving revolution is hitting a few bumps in the road. Just weeks after Waymo launched its driverless taxi service in Houston, safety concerns are growing after one of its autonomous vehicles was caught on camera turning into an oncoming lane.
The incident, captured on dashcam video by local commuter Craig Funni, shows the Waymo vehicle attempting to enter a reversible HOV lane off St. Joseph Parkway in downtown Houston. However, the car missed the mark, trying to turn westbound into the lane while it was actively running eastbound for rush hour traffic.
A Close Call in Houston
Funni described the encounter as terrifying, especially since there was no human driver behind the wheel to correct the mistake.
“Eventually, traffic kind of started moving around… we were able to get around it if you were kind of careful on what passed it,” Funni told local news. “But it was scary because you didn’t know what the thing was going to do, because if you got a person in there, you can wave at ’em or, you know, whatever.”
According to Waymo, the vehicle eventually stopped, and a remote assistance team was able to intervene, guiding the driverless car to back up and clear the intersection safely.
Read More from MotorBiscuit:
- Waymo Robotaxi Misses Train by Inches in Texas Railway Crossing Breach
- Disgraced Cruise CEO Quietly Resigns: What Does It Mean for GM?
Waymo Defends Its Safety Record
In response to the incident, Waymo was quick to point to its overall safety record. The company recently cited a safety study conducted in Austin, Texas, which showed that Waymo vehicles experienced 84% fewer airbag deployment crashes compared to human drivers in the same area.
While the statistics may favor autonomous vehicles, the public is still mostly skeptical about the service, especially following highly publicized incidents involving other driverless car companies like GM’s Cruise, as well as Waymo’s own recent issues regarding a railway incident (which I’ve linked above).
