After stopping an autonomous vehicle with no one inside, San Francisco police officers were faced with a new challenge.
Officers approached Cruise’s car because it had been driving without headlights.
In the video, an officer says, “There ain’t nobody in it,” before the car moves to a safer location, according to Cruise.
According to the company, the problem with the headlights was caused by human error.
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Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors that develop self-driving technology, has been testing autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the United States.
Earlier this year, it began allowing members of the public to hail free night-time rides by signing up for a waiting list.
Cruise tweeted: “Our AV yielded to the police vehicle, then pulled over to the nearest safe location, as intended. An officer contacted Cruise personnel and no citation was issued.”
The company has created a YouTube video demonstrating how law enforcement and other “first responders” should interact with AVs.
According to the video, the vehicles have microphones that can detect siren sounds.
“The AV can detect lights and sirens and will come to a halt.”
Before approaching a vehicle, officers should dial a specific phone number to reach the company’s “escalation team,” according to the video.
“For example, the escalation team can remotely perform a variety of tasks, such as unlocking the vehicle… and ensuring that the vehicle remains in a safe stationary position.”
Legal Troubles
The law commissions of England and Wales, as well as the Scottish Law Commission, have all called for legislative changes to address self-driving vehicles.
The independent bodies that monitor and review UK legislation recommended that if anything went wrong, the company behind the autonomous driving system, rather than the driver, would be held accountable.
Driverless car glitches are unavoidable as technology advances, as evidenced by the experience of people living on a quiet San Francisco street who were inundated with self-driving vehicles.
Other automakers, including Elon Musk’s Tesla, are developing their own driverless technology.