Self-driving Cars Cause Massive Traffic Problems

(ProsperNews.net) – A self-driving car caused chaos in San Francisco when it stalled in the middle of traffic. The autonomous Waymo vehicle blocked off the busy Valencia Street on the afternoon of August 6, and a video posted to social media showed cars using a bus lane to try to get around it.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) said it would investigate the incident and added that the California Public Utilities Commission is debating the future of autonomous vehicles on San Francisco roads following complaints from residents. Several similar incidents have occurred, and some motorists say the cars are not ready to be given unfettered access to busy streets.

The California Public Utilities Commission met on August 7 and attracted hundreds of online viewers and comments. Bay Area residents called the cars dangerous and “creepy” and said they’ve caused hundreds of accidents.

The vehicles were introduced in June 2022. They are operated by a company called Cruise which initially deployed 30 carriages to be used by paying passengers. Since then, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s executive director, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority’s executive director, and the city’s planning department’s director have all questioned the wisdom of the plans. One official said the cars were causing so much disruption that if it were a teenager learning to drive, they’d be denied a license.

City leaders furthermore state that the cars are erratic and are interfering with emergency services. Jeanine Nicholson, the chief of the San Francisco Fire Department, said her department had logged 50 incidents involving vehicles that almost crashed into firefighters, blocked roads, or obstructed access to and from fire stations.

Local residents sent comments into the meeting, with some saying they didn’t vote for these hazards and want them removed. One woman said she’s seen them blast through stop signs, while another wrote, “Disabled folks and children seem to be invisible to these death traps.”