Will Google discontinue its self-driving car project after a crash at the corner of W El Camino Real and Calderon Avenue in Mountain View, CA? One of the company's prototype encountered a clash with another automobile.
According to reports, the latest incident involving a Lexus self-driving vehicle might be the worst. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
What happened? 9to5 Google reported that the prototype crashed against the "Interstate Batteries" commercial van. Witnesses claimed that the latter was at fault. The photos are posted on the website.
"I only saw the tail-end of the crash, and the dazed Google employees sitting around afterwards waiting for their tow-truck. I had to be on my way," a witness said. "From what I could see, it was the van's fault entirely," they added.
Google provided a statement regarding the latest incident; pointing out that the self-driving car was following the traffic signs.
"A Google vehicle was traveling northbound on Phyllis Ave. in Mountain View when a car heading westbound on El Camino Real ran a red light and collided with the right side of our vehicle. Our light was green for at least six seconds before our car entered the intersection."
"Thousands of crashes happen every day on U.S. roads, and red-light running is the leading cause of urban crashes in the U.S. Human error plays a role in 94% of these crashes, which is why we're developing fully self-driving technology to make our roads safer."
On the other hand, Fortune claims that this incident might raise an issue between a self-driving vehicle and an old-fashioned driver. According to the website, the companies, which aim to promote autonomous cars, must be more responsible and proactive to reduce such encounters in the future.
Meanwhile, writer Benedict Evans posted a prediction on Twitter, claiming that self-driving cars will likely invade the American roads as far as 2060. This could mean that traditional cars and modern, autonomous vehicles might share the road for the time being.
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