Self-Driving Bus Gets In Accident On Its First Day

CNN - A new self-driving shuttle bus got off to a bumpy start in Las Vegas.

When the service debuted in the city on Wednesday, one of the driverless vehicles was involved in a collision with a delivery truck, the Las Vegas government said in a statement.

 During the incident in downtown Las Vegas, the bus automatically stopped to try avoid an accident after its sensors detected the truck, the city said.

"Unfortunately, the delivery truck did not stop and grazed the front fender of the shuttle," it said. "Had the truck had the same sensing equipment that the shuttle has, the accident would have been avoided."

Full article here.

Oh no! I’ve been hearing about these self-driving cars nonstop, and now you’re telling me that one crashes on the first day? This statement is great too, basically saying, “oh our system worked fine and our bus stopped in time, but the delivery truck still hit us”. First of all: what a crazy move to put out a bus, have you guys even figured out cars yet?? And second of all: welp, sorry to say it- but it looks like you need to completely override your system. You clearly didn’t design your cars/buses to account for the fact that delivery truck drivers are psychos.

It’s also frightening to think that delivery truck drivers aren’t even at the top of the totem pole in terms of unpredictable vehicle operators. If they haven’t accounted for delivery guys, how are they supposed to deal with cabbies? Or city bus drivers? Or the guys who saw Baby Driver last night? Take bus drivers for instance, they don’t mess around! You think they have an implanted system to tell them when to stop? While you're self-driving car is chortling away with "0100010111001010011001", the bus drivers  are speaking a different language, principally “run over men, women, children, and IRobots to arrive on time”. So yeah, it’s a bummer; but take these cars right back to the plant. Give them new brains, brains that can comprehend the full scope of assholes on the road, and that can make it 24 hours without getting in a fender bender with a FedEx truck.

P.S. Imagine being a self-driving car that’s trying to navigate the 50 yards after tolls? That’s a lawless country, a place without rules, the international waters of the speedway, and override central for your binary-speaking AI Uber.

P.P.S. They’re doing a biiiiig rollout of self-driving cars in Phoenix, so grab your popcorn and literally buckle your seat belts!