A new video released by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority shows the moment when a Google’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) self-driving car hit a California bus. For the first time in years, the tech company has apparently accepted responsibility for a collision.
The crash occurred on February 14 in Silicon Valley city of Mountain View, where the Google’s autonomous vehicle, a Lexus SUV equipped with sensors and cameras, knocked the side of a public bus.
Google seem to suggest that this is the first time that a Google’s autonomous vehicle has caused a crash on a public road. Previous incidents, which occurred during the testing process, were apparently caused by human drivers that altered the driving controls, said Google.
The video and post-crash photographs were issued by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to The Associated Press after the latter had submitted open records request to the California State.
It appears that the collision occurred at a low speed, however, it ruined the front left side of the Lexus SUV, flattened a tire, and spoiled a Google radar that is used by the vehicle to perceive its surroundings, said NBC News on Thursday.
That being said, the crash did not cause any injury to any of the 16 people on the bus, neither to the Google employee who was in the driver’s seat. According to the transit agency, the bus driver was not responsible for the collision, said spokeswoman Stacey Hendler Ross.
Consumer Watchdog: Google undoubtedly has its own video showing how its self-driving robot car crashed into a bus
The non-profit organization said on Tuesday in a press release that Google should release its own video of the collision, adding that the tech company has probably a better video, and detailed technical details related to the crash.
“Google is using our public roads as their private laboratory. When something goes wrong, they need to release everything. It’s the morally right thing to do even if it’s not yet required,” said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project Director on Tuesday.
Consumer Watchdog also said that the California Department of Modern Vehicles needs to conduct an investigation to determine why exactly the crash occurred, and then publish technical details and videos provided by Google.
Currently, California Laws establish that autonomous vehicles must have a driver behind a steering wheel and a brake pedal to allow a human to take control of the vehicle when necessary.
Source: NBC News