Self Driving Car doesn’t understand the police

The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.

In this video you can see two San Francisco police officers work to get a Waymo Autonomous vehicle to not run over a fire hose. The first officer has to physically stand in front of it and the other officer tries to stop it by lighting a road flare. The vehicle does not identify the fire hose or respond to the lit road flare.

From the Consumer Autonomous Vehicle Bill of Rights:
AVs must respond appropriately to emergency vehicle lights, audible signals, requirements, and manual directions from police officers, other first responders, and good Samaritans without endangering either those third parties or vehicle occupants.

  • AVs must respect and adhere to motor vehicle laws concerning operations with or near law enforcement personnel and other first responders in the vicinity of or near the planned trajectory of the AV.
  • AVs must acknowledge and respond appropriately and safely to good Samaritans who may provide optical or manual warning signals in an emergency situation.