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Google autonomous car strikes Calif. city bus

The vehicle and the test driver "believed the bus would slow or allow the Google (autonomous vehicle) to continue." Google said in the filing the autonomous vehicle was traveling at less than 2 miles per hour, while the bus was moving at about 15 miles per hour.

March 1, 2016
Google autonomous car strikes Calif. city bus

Roman Boed

1 min to read


Roman Boed

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Alphabet Inc.'s Google said it bears "some responsibility" after one of its self-driving cars struck a municipal bus in a minor crash earlier this month, Reuters reports.

In a Feb. 23 report filed with California regulators, Google said the crash took place in Mountain View on Feb. 14 when a self-driving Lexus RX450h sought to get around some sandbags in a wide lane. The vehicle and the test driver "believed the bus would slow or allow the Google (autonomous vehicle) to continue." Google said in the filing the autonomous vehicle was traveling at less than 2 miles per hour, while the bus was moving at about 15 miles per hour.

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The crash may be the first case of one of its autonomous cars hitting another vehicle and the fault of the self-driving car. The Mountain View, California-based Internet search leader said it made changes to its software after the crash to avoid future incidents. For the full story, click here.

To view the DMV report, click here.

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