Page 14 - MIN VOS JUNE 20 2015
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TECHNOLOGY A23
Saturday 20 June 2015
California reveals details of self-driving car accidents
JUSTIN PRITCHARD quirement. The news or- out. DMV officials had not serve no purpose be-
Associated Press ganization also said the The companies that oper- cause Urmson’s blog post
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cali- public has an interest in ated the cars — tech titan been aware of those eight detailed the accidents.
fornia state officials re- understanding how these Google and parts supplier Two days later, Google
leased reports Thursday experimental vehicles are Delphi Automotive — sub- until an April conference launched a website which
detailing six accidents that performing. mitted their own accounts offered short narratives de-
involved self-driving car “Unlocking these records of the accidents. Police call with Google, agency scribing each collision.
prototypes, reversing a The documents that the
policy that shielded details spokeswoman Jessica DMV released Thursday of-
of how the next-genera- fered few new details, oth-
tion technology is perform- Gonzalez said. er than the date and time
ing during testing on public of the accidents and the
roads. In California, a driver is make and model of the
The disclosure came after other cars.
The Associated Press ar- In this Sept. 25, 2012, file photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown, front left, rides in a driverless car to a According to the reports,
gued to the Department five accidents involved
of Motor Vehicles that the bill signing at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Associated Press Lexus SUVs that Google
agency was improperly outfitted with sensors and
withholding the informa- and sharing them with the have confirmed investigat- required to report to the cameras. The sixth involved
tion. public are in keeping with ing only the Delphi crash. DMV any accident involv- an Audi retrofitted by Del-
According to the reports, AP’s longstanding efforts While eight companies ing more than $750 of phi. All were in the Silicon
most of the cars were in nationwide to bring about have permission to test 82 damage. Valley cities of Mountain
self-driving mode when the greater transparency in self-driving cars in Califor- A Google spokeswoman View or Palo Alto.
accidents happened, and government agencies,” nia, Google has driven the could not say whether the In four Google accidents,
the other driver caused AP spokesman Paul Col- most miles (about 1.8 mil- company had filed DMV the Lexus was in self-driving
the accident. None of ford said. lion) and licensed the most reports on any of the ini- mode. In the fifth, the SUV
the crashes was serious Led by Google, self-driving prototypes (48). tial eight accidents, and began braking when it
enough to cause injuries, cars have been running on After several years of re- said she could not provide sensed a 2015 Audi S6 had
either to the person the public roads since 2009. vealing little about crash- damage estimates be- run a stop sign and was
state requires to sit behind It was only in September, es, Google has in recent cause repairs were done about to hit it; the Google
the wheel or people in the however, that the DMV of- weeks become more in-house, without a bill. employee behind the
other cars. ficially began permitting open about their number The DMV said it could not wheel took control just be-
The DMV’s refusal to re- the testing — and requiring and nature. search its records for earlier fore the Audi hit the Lexus’
lease the reports bothered companies to file accident After AP reported last reports without date and right rear.
critics, who said the public reports and until now, the month that there had location information that The Delphi car was struck
should know how the cars agency wouldn’t release been three Google acci- Google has provided to as it waited at an intersec-
of the future were faring those reports. dents and one Delphi ac- neither AP nor the agency. tion.
today. On Thursday, the DMV cident, Google self-driving At Google’s annual share- It is hard to know for sure
“The more transparent said it had reviewed the car project leader Chris holders meeting earlier this how typical Google’s ex-
the government is about request and determined Urmson revealed in a blog month, co-founder Sergey perience is. With four ac-
self-driving vehicle ac- they could release the re- post that its cars had been Brin told a longtime critic cidents in the past ap-
cidents, the more cred- ports as long as personal involved in eight other ac- with the nonprofit Consum- proximately 100,000 miles,
ibility the government will information such as the cidents between 2010 and er Watchdog that releas- the recent accident rate
have when it comes time drivers’ names is blacked July 2014. ing accident reports would appears to be higher than
to decide — yes or no — the reported national av-
on whether to OK the sale erage. About 0.3 “proper-
and licensing of self-driving ty-damage-only crashes”
cars,” said Peter Scheer, happen per 100,000 miles
executive director of the driven, according to the
First Amendment Coalition. National Highway Traffic
Until now, the agency said Safety Administration.
it could not reveal details Google officials have said
about self-driving car ac- they are proud of the safe-
cidents, citing state law ty record. Noting that as
making collision reports many as 5 million minor ac-
confidential. cidents are not reported to
After the DMV denied a authorities each year, they
public records request, AP conclude that the cluster
argued that the agency in recent months reflects
was incorrectly interpret- the true rate at which
ing the confidentiality re- fender benders happen.q
Saturday 20 June 2015
California reveals details of self-driving car accidents
JUSTIN PRITCHARD quirement. The news or- out. DMV officials had not serve no purpose be-
Associated Press ganization also said the The companies that oper- cause Urmson’s blog post
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cali- public has an interest in ated the cars — tech titan been aware of those eight detailed the accidents.
fornia state officials re- understanding how these Google and parts supplier Two days later, Google
leased reports Thursday experimental vehicles are Delphi Automotive — sub- until an April conference launched a website which
detailing six accidents that performing. mitted their own accounts offered short narratives de-
involved self-driving car “Unlocking these records of the accidents. Police call with Google, agency scribing each collision.
prototypes, reversing a The documents that the
policy that shielded details spokeswoman Jessica DMV released Thursday of-
of how the next-genera- fered few new details, oth-
tion technology is perform- Gonzalez said. er than the date and time
ing during testing on public of the accidents and the
roads. In California, a driver is make and model of the
The disclosure came after other cars.
The Associated Press ar- In this Sept. 25, 2012, file photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown, front left, rides in a driverless car to a According to the reports,
gued to the Department five accidents involved
of Motor Vehicles that the bill signing at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Associated Press Lexus SUVs that Google
agency was improperly outfitted with sensors and
withholding the informa- and sharing them with the have confirmed investigat- required to report to the cameras. The sixth involved
tion. public are in keeping with ing only the Delphi crash. DMV any accident involv- an Audi retrofitted by Del-
According to the reports, AP’s longstanding efforts While eight companies ing more than $750 of phi. All were in the Silicon
most of the cars were in nationwide to bring about have permission to test 82 damage. Valley cities of Mountain
self-driving mode when the greater transparency in self-driving cars in Califor- A Google spokeswoman View or Palo Alto.
accidents happened, and government agencies,” nia, Google has driven the could not say whether the In four Google accidents,
the other driver caused AP spokesman Paul Col- most miles (about 1.8 mil- company had filed DMV the Lexus was in self-driving
the accident. None of ford said. lion) and licensed the most reports on any of the ini- mode. In the fifth, the SUV
the crashes was serious Led by Google, self-driving prototypes (48). tial eight accidents, and began braking when it
enough to cause injuries, cars have been running on After several years of re- said she could not provide sensed a 2015 Audi S6 had
either to the person the public roads since 2009. vealing little about crash- damage estimates be- run a stop sign and was
state requires to sit behind It was only in September, es, Google has in recent cause repairs were done about to hit it; the Google
the wheel or people in the however, that the DMV of- weeks become more in-house, without a bill. employee behind the
other cars. ficially began permitting open about their number The DMV said it could not wheel took control just be-
The DMV’s refusal to re- the testing — and requiring and nature. search its records for earlier fore the Audi hit the Lexus’
lease the reports bothered companies to file accident After AP reported last reports without date and right rear.
critics, who said the public reports and until now, the month that there had location information that The Delphi car was struck
should know how the cars agency wouldn’t release been three Google acci- Google has provided to as it waited at an intersec-
of the future were faring those reports. dents and one Delphi ac- neither AP nor the agency. tion.
today. On Thursday, the DMV cident, Google self-driving At Google’s annual share- It is hard to know for sure
“The more transparent said it had reviewed the car project leader Chris holders meeting earlier this how typical Google’s ex-
the government is about request and determined Urmson revealed in a blog month, co-founder Sergey perience is. With four ac-
self-driving vehicle ac- they could release the re- post that its cars had been Brin told a longtime critic cidents in the past ap-
cidents, the more cred- ports as long as personal involved in eight other ac- with the nonprofit Consum- proximately 100,000 miles,
ibility the government will information such as the cidents between 2010 and er Watchdog that releas- the recent accident rate
have when it comes time drivers’ names is blacked July 2014. ing accident reports would appears to be higher than
to decide — yes or no — the reported national av-
on whether to OK the sale erage. About 0.3 “proper-
and licensing of self-driving ty-damage-only crashes”
cars,” said Peter Scheer, happen per 100,000 miles
executive director of the driven, according to the
First Amendment Coalition. National Highway Traffic
Until now, the agency said Safety Administration.
it could not reveal details Google officials have said
about self-driving car ac- they are proud of the safe-
cidents, citing state law ty record. Noting that as
making collision reports many as 5 million minor ac-
confidential. cidents are not reported to
After the DMV denied a authorities each year, they
public records request, AP conclude that the cluster
argued that the agency in recent months reflects
was incorrectly interpret- the true rate at which
ing the confidentiality re- fender benders happen.q
