Google self-driving cars have been in several accidents since they hit the road for testing in 2009, however the company blames humans for these mishaps.
The most recent crash happened on July 1 in California. The Google car was rear-ended in a busy intersection by a motorist traveling at 17 mph, according to USA Today. Chris Urmson, Google self-driving car project director, says that the crashes have never been the computer's fault. According to Time, Urmson says one of the company's Lexus vehicles was approaching an intersection in which the light was green, "but traffic was backed up on the far side, so three cars, including ours, braked and came to a stop so as not to get stuck in the middle of the intersection."
One of the main components to Urmson's argument against human drivers is distraction. He says that computers do not get tired or lose focus while on the road, unlike people. He also says that millions of minor accidents, such as bumps and fender-benders, go unreported to authorities. He argues that these accidents in the United States are less understood, opposed to major wrecks that result in serious injury or death. "National crashes-per-miles-driven rates are currently calculated on police-reported crashes. Yet there are millions of fender benders every year that go unreported and uncounted ," he added. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 55 percent of all crashes are minor accidents that go unreported.
You can watch a video simulation of Google's latest accident below.
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