Alphabet's Waymo CEO Confident Its Self-Driving Tech Could Avoid Uber-like Accident
25 März 2018 - 3:17AM
Dow Jones News
By Adrienne Roberts
LAS VEGAS -- The head of Google-parent Alphabet Inc.'s
self-driving car unit said he is confident its technology would be
able to spot someone crossing the street, avoiding an accident such
as the one in which an Uber Technologies Inc. self-driving car
struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona.
Waymo Chief Executive John Krafcik, speaking at the National
Automobile Dealers Association Show, said the March 18 Uber
accident struck a chord with him because the "car had technology
representing the self-driving space."
Police in Tempe, Ariz., said the Uber vehicle was in autonomous
mode with a human safety operator at the wheel when it hit
49-year-old Elaine Herzberg while she was walking her bicycle
outside of a crosswalk. The woman later died from her injuries.
In comparison to Uber's technology, Mr. Krafcik said he has "a
lot of confidence" that Waymo's self-driving system "would be
robust and able to handle situations like that," noting that
self-driving vehicles with Waymo technology have driven more than 5
million miles on public roadways.
Asked to comment on Mr. Krafcik's remarks, the first from Waymo
since the accident, Uber said "safety is our primary concern every
step of the way." The company added that it is "heartbroken by what
happened" in Arizona and it continues to assist investigators.
Write to Adrienne Roberts at Adrienne.Roberts@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 24, 2018 21:02 ET (01:02 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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