Self-driving Waymo car kills dog amid increasing concern over robotaxis

Collision occurred as canine ran out from behind another car, but autonomous vehicle could not stop in time to avoid contact

A Waymo self-driving car killed a small dog in San Francisco while in autonomous mode" last month, the latest in a string of incidents that have led city officials to protest a planned expansion of the company's driverless taxi services.

The 21 May collision occurred just before 11am on Toland Street in San Francisco as the car was in autonomous mode" with a test driver in the front seat. A Waymo spokesperson said that an initial review showed that the system correctly identified the dog when it ran out from behind a parked car, but was not able to avoid contact" due to how fast the canine was moving. The company said it was investigating the matter.