Waymo's typical accident, from the CA DMV reports, is this:
- Waymo vehicle comes to a required stop before entering an intersection.
- View of the cross street is obstructed when stopped at the stop line.
- Waymo advances into intersection far enough to see cross traffic.
- Cross traffic is detected, and Waymo stops.
- Trailing vehicle rear-ends Waymo vehicle at low speed.
That's happened at least half a dozen times. There's one location in Mountain View where there's a tree in the median strip that obstructs the car-top scanner when the Waymo is stopped at the stop line. Two rear-end collisions at that location so far.
As far as I know, no Waymo vehicle has ever entered an intersection and been hit by previously occluded cross traffic. Many human drivers get T-boned in such situations. So this is a good design.
One way to prevent those minor rear-end collisions would be slightly different brake light usage.
When moving slowly forward, likely to stop suddenly, and there is another vehicle close behind, flash the brake lights rapidly to get the trailing vehicle to back off.
Cynical old geezer "fix": Add big, obvious trailer hitches to Waymo vehicles. Following drivers notice, realize that fender-benders would be far more expensive for them, and stay a reasonable distance back.
- Waymo vehicle comes to a required stop before entering an intersection.
- View of the cross street is obstructed when stopped at the stop line.
- Waymo advances into intersection far enough to see cross traffic.
- Cross traffic is detected, and Waymo stops.
- Trailing vehicle rear-ends Waymo vehicle at low speed.
That's happened at least half a dozen times. There's one location in Mountain View where there's a tree in the median strip that obstructs the car-top scanner when the Waymo is stopped at the stop line. Two rear-end collisions at that location so far.
As far as I know, no Waymo vehicle has ever entered an intersection and been hit by previously occluded cross traffic. Many human drivers get T-boned in such situations. So this is a good design.
One way to prevent those minor rear-end collisions would be slightly different brake light usage. When moving slowly forward, likely to stop suddenly, and there is another vehicle close behind, flash the brake lights rapidly to get the trailing vehicle to back off.
Drivers would understand that.