WASHINGTON: A self-driving taxi was smashed and lit aflame on the streets of San Francisco over the weekend, firm representatives mentioned Sunday.
The autonomous automobile from tech agency Waymo, owned by Google mother or father firm Alphabet, was focused by a bunch of individuals apparently carrying fireworks from ongoing Lunar New Year celebrations.
No one was within the automotive and there have been no reported accidents from the Saturday evening incident, Waymo mentioned.
“A crowd surrounded and vandalized the automobile, breaking the window and throwing a firework inside, which set the automobile on fire,“ a Waymo spokesperson instructed eNM.
“The automobile was not transporting any riders,“ the spokesperson added. “We are working carefully with native security officers to reply to the scenario.”
Images posted on social media confirmed the white Jaguar stopped in a crowded road in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the place celebrations had been ongoing.
Several individuals wearing black are proven breaking the home windows, together with one utilizing a skateboard.
Other movies present the automobile with its home windows damaged and fireworks exploding inside, earlier than it catches fire and shoots out an enormous plume of smoke.
After the fire goes out, the automotive seems largely destroyed.
San Francisco has been the primary testing floor for gradual piloting of autonomous automobiles within the United States, although they’ve typically been the goal of vandals and in addition raised security issues.
A number of days earlier than Saturday evening’s incident, a bike owner was injured after being hit by a Waymo automotive, native media reported.
Cruise, one other autonomous automobile firm and owned by automotive big General Motors, indefinitely suspended its actions on the finish of October after a number of accidents sparked a crackdown by California regulators.
Tesla’s “autopilot” characteristic has additionally come underneath scrutiny, going through accusations the advertising and marketing of the characteristic has oversold its precise skills.
“Autopilot” was concerned in 736 accidents and 17 deaths since 2019, in response to a Washington Post report analyzing knowledge from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a regulator. – eNM
