California DMV Details Indicates Driver Intervention Was Exercised In Self Driving Google Car Crash

The disclosure came after The Associated Press successfully argued to the Department of Motor Vehicles that the agency was improperly withholding the information.

According to the reports, most of the cars were in self-driving mode when the accidents happened, and the other driver caused the accident. None of the crashes were serious enough to injure the person the state requires to sit behind the wheel, and the reports say none of the people in the other cars were treated for injuries either.

The companies that operated the cars — tech titan Google and parts supplier Delphi Automotive — submitted their own accounts of the accidents. Police have only confirmed investigating the Delphi crash.

TheSteve - 6/19/2015 10:38:38 AM

+2 Boost

Summary (and spoiler alert):

(1) California state officials confirm Google's previous statements that the accidents were "the other guy's" fault.

(2) Google asserts that the "accident rate" attributed to Google autonomous cars is overstated because it reports ALL incidents, while government figures for "accidents per 100,000 miles", to which Google is being compared compared, filters out the majority of accidents, those being ones with under $750 in damage, and which don't require reporting to authorities.

I'm not a fan of autonomous cars, but I have to admit that it at least *appears* Google is doing very well on this front.

Agent009 - 6/19/2015 12:40:16 PM

-2 Boost

I agree they are doing far better than I expected, and yes I might let vehicle drive itself. However I would not want to not have a manual intervention mechanism. There are too many variables to allow for and the technology is yet to be proven in wild by thousands.

MDarringer - 6/19/2015 2:19:38 PM

0 Boost

The basic question I have is why is embracing laziness such a celebrated virtue? I'm all for collision avoidance technology, but if you get in a vehicle, drive the damn thing yourself.

Yonder7 - 6/19/2015 11:19:58 AM

+1 Boost

TheSteve: I agree with you and sadly I think the we are the last generation that know how to drive a car, which leads me to the fact that manual cars with clutch are secure in my garage and no one will borrow any of my cars for that and even the thieves, have no idea on how to drive them :-) .....

Socalcarnut - 6/19/2015 6:56:30 PM

+1 Boost

Gee what a surprise...somebody driving a Lexus involved in a crash. It seems if Toyota or Lexus drivers don't directly cause an extreeeeemly high percentage of accidents (or just stupid driving moves) they are somehow "mysteriously" involved. Look at (then) Bruce Jenner...now being sued for vehicular homicide because a Prius inexplicably stopped on PCH and was rear ended by...wait for it...a Lexus (with expired tags). Yes, Bruce should have been more attentive...and it was his fault...but...there you go...a Toyota and a Lexus involved...yet escaping blame.