Another California community is raising concerns about plans to unleash the Waymo self-driving vehicle in its jurisdiction, following several incidents involving autonomous ride-hailing cars that resulted in injuries. Last week, San Mateo County requested more information from state regulators before allowing Waymo to operate its driverless vehicles there. Waymo received approval on its plans to expand where it can provide its passenger carrier service from the California Department of Motor Vehicles just days before.
San Mateo County Officials and other communities say they want a say in the regulation of driverless car company operations. In a Feb. Drivers for Uber, Lyft and DoorDash staged a one-day work stoppage to protest poor wages. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass said her city should have a say in how such vehicles are regulated and asked state regulators in November to increase their scrutiny of companies that operate autonomous vehicles. In August, a Waymo car failed to initially stop for a traffic officer who had been signaling east- and westbound traffic to come to a stop at Beaudry Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard.
No injuries were reported in that incident. On Feb. SFGate reported that the vehicle stopped at a four-way intersection before proceeding; a large truck was driving through in the opposite direction.
When the cyclist became visible, the Waymo vehicle applied its brakes but was not able to avoid the collision. The cyclist had non-life-threatening injuries. She was previously a reporter on the Utility Journalism Team, which focused on service journalism.
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