Criticism of Waymo for running over a cat
Waymo's robotaxis are not only popular in San Francisco. After one ran over a cat, critics feel vindicated.
Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco
(Image: Michael Vi/ Shutterstock-com)
The death of a cat has once again sparked criticism of Alphabet subsidiary Waymo in San Francisco. One of Waymo's autonomous vehicles ran over the cat.
The accident occurred on October 27 in San Francisco's Mission District, as the New York Times reports (paywall). The cat, named “Kitkat,” was very popular in the district; residents called her the mayor of 16th Street. A memorial was set up after her death. Protest signs against Waymo appeared in the streets.
There are different versions of how the accident happened: Tekedra Mawakana, co-head of Waymo, said according to Techcrunch at a conference that Kitkat jumped under the vehicle as it started to move. Jackie Fielder, who represents the Mission District on the San Francisco City Council, on the other hand, said in an Instagram post that Kitkat had been sitting in front of the car for several seconds before it started moving.
Waymo transports passengers without safety drivers
Waymo is currently the only robotaxi provider in the US whose vehicles are allowed to transport passengers autonomously and without a safety driver on board. The converted electric Jaguar I-Pace operates in the US metropolises of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta and now complete around 250,000 paid rides per week. By 2026, the robotaxis are also scheduled to come to London.
The deployment of autonomous vehicles in road traffic has not been entirely smooth. In early 2024, a Waymo vehicle caused an accident with a cyclist, who was slightly injured. In Phoenix, police stopped a vehicle that was traveling on the wrong side of the road and ran a red light.
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This also leads to protests: Fielder, for example, wants to introduce a resolution that citizens should decide whether self-driving cars are allowed in their neighborhoods. Opponents of autonomous taxis sometimes stop the vehicles by “coning,” i.e., by placing a traffic cone on the hood. Then the vehicle stops and a person has to remove the cone. In an extreme case last year, a Waymo vehicle was set on fire.
(wpl)
