--- title: "Self-Driving Car Runs Over Dog" description: "A Waymo self-driving car killed a dog in San Francisco while its \"autonomous mode\" was turned on last month." date: "2023-06-09" modified: "2023-06-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/self-driving-car-runs-over-dog" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" tags: - "cruise" - "Self-driving cars" - "the digest" - "waymo" --- # Self-Driving Car Runs Over Dog ![]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## The Dog Died A Waymo self-driving car killed a dog in San Francisco while its "autonomous mode" was turned on last month, an incident that will likely fan the flames of the debate surrounding their use. The unfortunate collision occurred on May 21 just before 11am, according to [DMV paperwork](). A Waymo [told *The Guardian*]() that the car's self-driving system did in fact identify the dog, but thanks to the dog's high speed, the vehicle "was not able to avoid contact." Interestingly, the human safety driver behind the wheel didn't see the dog, [according to *TechCrunch*](). Waymo was clearly aware of the painful optics, especially considering how its vehicles have [already caused chaos]() on the streets of the Bay Area for quite some time now. "We send our sincere condolences to the dog’s owner," the Waymo spokesperson told *The Guardian*. "The trust and safety of the communities we are in is the most important thing to us and we’re continuing to look into this on our end." ## Twisted Metal It's not the only incident to increase pressure on the company. In light of a [number]() [of incidents]() that have plagued the residents of San Francisco involving Waymo's cars — and the self-driving taxis of its competitors — some city officials are now trying to stop a planned expansion of the company's driverless taxi services. As of right now, Waymo is only allowed to deploy its self-driving taxis outside of the city's densest areas. The company can also only charge fares if a human driver is present between 10pm and 6am. Despite the chaos, Waymo is pushing ahead and wants to operate its taxis around the clock and throughout the city, efforts that have raised eyebrows among local officials. ## 2 Fast 2 Autonomous And it's not just Waymo. Earlier this year, the [*San Francisco Chronicle* released an extensive report]() of incidents involving Waymo's competitor Cruise, including a driverless vehicle that plowed into an active firefighting scene. Cruise's cars have also been known to block traffic or even fail to follow the directions of traffic control officers. An [investigation]() by the city's transportation authority found that there were at least "92 unique incidents reported to the City between May 29, and December 31, 2022," involving Cruise autonomous vehicles. In short, despite years of hype, self-driving cars are having a tough time breaking into the mainstream — and running over a dog isn't exactly going to help their narrative. **More on self-driving taxis:** *[Self-Driving Car Plowed Into Active Fire Scene, Forcing Firefighters to Smash Its Window]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()