Torched Robotaxi in San Francisco Reignites Autonomous Vehicle Debate

While the California DMV may have banned Cruise Robotaxis from operating in San Francisco, Waymo's autonomous vehicles are still operating, and the residents of the City by the Bay are not happy about it. While most drivers would have avoided driving through the heart of Chinatown during the first day of the city's Chinese New Year celebrations, one Waymo robotaxi decided to try it. Moments later, someone set the self-driving Waymo vehicle on fire.

How the Incident Transpired

According to a report from Reuters, two witnesses saw a group of people surround the car, with a few of them attacking it before one of them set the self-driving vehicle ablaze. Aaron Peskin, the president of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, told Reuters, “Most normal car drivers know that they have to avoid Chinatown during the Lunar New Year holidays. The computer doesn't understand that.”

One of the witnesses told Reuters that there were few cars in the street before the incident because pedestrians were gathering there to watch the fireworks. Most approaching vehicles turned around once they saw the crowd instead of trying to drive through like the Waymo robotaxi did. While a few drivers did choose to navigate the crowd, they could pass through without any issues, as the crowd let them pass. However, the Waymo froze as it approached the crowd which attacked it.

One witness, Michael Vandi, told Reuters that the situation quickly escalated once the Waymo stopped. “Someone in a white hoodie jumped on the hood of the car and literally, WWE-style, KO'd the windshield,” he said. The crowd, further riled up by this powerful kick to the windshield, became frantic, with people marking the vehicle with graffiti, breaking its windows, and unleashing fireworks inside the car.

Opinions Are Divided on Self-Driving Cars

Dave Cortese, a California state senator proposing legislation allowing local officials to regulate autonomous vehicles more closely, points to how the car drove into a crowd shooting off fireworks as a red flag for the fledgling tech. He told Reuters, “What is becoming abundantly clear is that AV technology is not as sophisticated as the industry would like us to believe.”

A former advisor to U.S. traffic safety regulators and the current director of George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center weighed in on the matter. “We are seeing people reach a boiling point over tech they do not want and does not make their lives better,” she said.

Meanwhile, San Francisco Mayor London Breed had nothing but praise for autonomous technology when she told Reuters, “We are a city that is home to exciting, emerging technologies, like autonomous vehicles, that are changing the world.” Breed also shared her scorn for the people who attacked the Waymo car, calling the incident a “dangerous and destructive act of vandalism.”

There's Still a Lot to Figure Out With Self-Driving Cars

An NBC News report alleges that self-driving vehicles have not faced consequences when they violate driving laws because of a loophole stipulating a person must receive traffic tickets. Since there are no drivers in these autonomous vehicles, law enforcement cannot issue them any citations. So, these robotaxis drive away like nothing happened after they violate the rules of the road.

According to NBC News, California state representative Phil Ting is pushing for a new law to see all traffic citations sent to the companies that own and operate these robotaxis.