Waymo Just Reprogrammed Its Robotaxis to Drive Less Safely

"Yet in a bizarre move, Waymo - whose self-driving cabs had been enjoying extraordinary safety metrics - has just taken steps to make its robotaxis more human-like, eroding the safety narrative that's been central to the autonomous vehicle narrative. Recent reporting by The Wall Street Journal observed a startling change in Waymos' road etiquette, a new aggressive streak that would make a BMW driver blush. These include illegal U-turns, aggressive lane switching, rolling through cross walks, and running red lights."

""It's driving more like a taxi driver - an aggressive, New York taxi driver," said Sophia Yen, who watched in awe as two Waymos zig-zagged between lanes in a high-speed game of chicken back in September. The new behavior is the result of an effort to make Waymos "confidently assertive," according to Chris Ludwick, senior director of product management with Waymo. In an interview with the WSJ, Ludwick said changes were needed to avoid disruptions caused by Waymo's previously cautious behavior."

""The driver is designed to respect the rules of the road. However, sometimes this is a nuanced topic and road rules can even conflict with each other," he said. As an example, Ludwick pointed to delivery trucks stopped in a lane. Drivers aren't supposed to cross the double yellow line into the opposite lane, but when it's between that or obstructing traffic, humans know to carefully pass. Now Waymos do too."

Waymo altered its robotaxi driving to be 'confidently assertive,' adopting more aggressive maneuvers such as illegal U-turns, aggressive lane changes, rolling through crosswalks, and running red lights. Company rationale is to reduce disruptions caused by overly cautious behavior and to handle nuanced situations like passing stopped delivery trucks. The change has produced safety drawbacks, including a vehicle striking a dog and another killing a neighborhood cat, prompting local backlash and campaigns against Waymo. The shift raises questions about balancing assertiveness and adherence to traffic rules in autonomous vehicle behavior.

Read at Futurism