San Francisco fire chief Jeanine Nicholson is reportedly against robotaxi expansion plans in the city.
What Happened: Nicholson told Los Angeles Times that she is not against driverless taxi technology but what is not working now must be fixed before they are "unleashed on the rest of the city."
"They're not ready for prime time," she said.
The report also recounted an incident from June 9 when a robotaxi blocked a lane used by emergency responders in the city after a mass shooting. The blockage could have been catastrophic, the fire department had noted.
The fire department receives 160,000 calls per year and autonomous vehicles provide an added hurdle to resolve these emergencies, Nicholson said.
"The more vehicles they put on the road, the more incidents we are seeing," the chief told KCBS radio.
SF fire chief laments autonomous vehicles as obstructions to emergency response - KCBS Radio: On-Demand - SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) June 23, 2023
Why It Matters: State regulators track robotaxi collisions, but not traffic flow issues like street blockages or interference with emergency responders. The Fire Department, however, does monitor such incidents, as per the report.
Since Jan. 1, they have recorded at least 39 reports of robotaxi incidents. While autonomous vehicles offer advantages like not getting tired, driving under the influence, or getting distracted by phones, they often come to sudden stops in traffic for unknown reasons.
In some cases, these roadblocks require a company representative to physically move the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) Waymo and General Motors-backed (NYSE: GM) Cruise are eyeing expansion across San Francisco without time restrictions.
According to California's Department of motor vehicles website, it received 612 autonomous vehicle collision reports as of June 16. This is purely collisions and does not include instances where robotaxis interrupted with firetrucks or caused traffic blocks.
Only last month, it was reported that a Waymo drove in on a crime scene, confusing cops who lit a road flare to stop it. The car was eventually shifted into the park at the junction.