Google's self-driving cars crash 'surprisingly often,' but it's not their fault

Mashable ^ | 07/18/2015 | Stan Schroeder

[SeekAndFind]

Google's self-driving cars have got into quite a few accidents, but they've been caused by human-driven cars crashing into them, not the other way around.

"Our self-driving cars are being hit surprisingly often by other drivers who are distracted and not paying attention to the road," head of Google's driverless car program Chris Urmson wrote in a blog post Thursday.

He describes an incident in which a human-driven car (can you imagine: In a few years we may have to indicate that a car is human-driven more often than not) slammed into the back of Google's self-driving Lexus.

Google's car, explains Urmson, stopped (together with two human-driven cars in front) at a green light to avoid being stuck at the middle of an intersection due to heavy traffic ahead — just like a human would.

However, the human-driven car behind just kept going, hitting the Google car at 17 mph. The human in it did not hit the brakes at all, probably due to distraction. You can see the incident in Google's video, below.

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO...

[JoeProBono]

[doorgunner69]

It is down right ignorant, and illegal as well to block intersections.

Yes, it is. Does not stop the stupid from doing it, though I will sometimes crowd one hoping to make a left turn just as the light changes.

[ctdonath2]

Point in the example is that the car DID take precautionary measures to prevent an accident. Sometimes humans just seem to insist on causing accidents anyway.