Autonomous vehicles from Waymo and Cruise are causing all kinds of trouble in San Francisco.
When transit systems experience delays, the reason usually isn’t very interesting: congested streets, medical emergencies, mechanical problems. “It’s an open question whether or not disengagement data gives you anything useful,” said Billy Riggs, a professor at the University of San Francisco’s School of Management who has followed the state’s AV deployments closely. That’s a conversation state officials should be having with AV companies and other stakeholders.” In September, two San Francisco transportation departments took the unusual step of bringing their concerns about AV deployments—and Cruise in particular—directly to the federal government in a 39-page letter submitted to the NHTSA. “That isn’t always happening.” In their letter to NHTSA, San Francisco officials proposed several ways to improve AV oversight. Riggs, the University of San Francisco professor, agreed on the need to evaluate AV companies’ emergency response times, adding that governments must be especially careful to protect so-called vulnerable road users.
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