Google’s self-driving cars have been at it again, getting involved in their 13th road accident since 2009.
Just days after the search giant sung the praises of the cars’ safety records during Google I/O, the autonomous vehicles have been involved in a couple of minor fender-benders.
According to Google, however, these accidents are not a sign of technical issues, simply human error highlighting the future potential of self-driving cars.
The Nexus 6 maker has revealed that one of its driverless cars was rear-ended while waiting at traffic lights in Mountain View, California, this week. This is the second such incident in a matter of days.
The company added: “That brings the tally to 13 minor fender-benders in more than 1.8 million miles of autonomous and manual driving—and still, not once was the self-driving car the cause of the accident.”
Related: Driverless Cars: Everything you need to know
Despite the slightly blemished incident record, Google has remained insistent that its cars have not been responsible for any of the accidents caused.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
