New California Autonomous Vehicle Rules Make Video Game Out of Testing Robot Cars, Threatening Highway Safety, Consumer Watchdog Says
Summary
Consumer Watchdog said that mandatory "disengagement reports" filed with the DMV show the self-driving technology is not safe enough to be deployed without a human driver in the car capable of taking control when necessary.The most common reasons why human test drivers had to take control of a robot car were deficiencies in hardware, software, and perception, Waymos report said.GMs Cruise division, which claims it will put robot cars on the road for public use in 2019, logged the second-most miles of the companies that were required to report on their testing.All other companies that released specific data detailing reasons for the disengagements, including Nissan and Drive.ai, a technology startup partnered with Lyft, confirmed Waymos and GM Cruises experiences."A remote test operator will be allowed to monitor and attempt to control the robot car from afar," said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog Privacy and Technology Project Director.