The collision occurred on the A13 in east London at 2am on Wednesday, involving a Waymo vehicle that was hit by another vehicle traveling at 93mph.
The incident resulted in injuries to four people, who were treated at the scene by the London Ambulance service. The Waymo vehicle was not operating autonomously at the time of the crash but was instead being driven manually by a test driver.
The incident highlights the challenges of testing driverless cars in crowded urban environments. The test driver was changing lanes when another vehicle swerved into an adjacent lane, collided with another vehicle, and then made contact with the Waymo vehicle.
Waymo has stated that it is conducting a thorough review of the incident and is in contact with local authorities. The company has also expressed gratitude for the quick response from emergency services and wishes those injured a full and fast recovery.
The incident raises questions about the safety of driverless cars, particularly in high-risk environments such as major highways. As companies like Waymo continue to evaluate their performance in various settings, such incidents serve as a reminder of the complexities involved in developing and deploying autonomous driving technology.
