A malfunction of Baidu autonomous vehicles prompted the Chinese government to stop issuing new licenses to AV operators. Could the U.S. learn from their actions?
After dozens of Baidu autonomous vehicles malfunctioned earlier this year, the Chinese government stopped issuing licenses to new AVs, reports Victor Tangermann in Futurism. "As Fortune points out, a strikingly similar situation is playing out in the United States — yet federal regulations are nowhere in sight. Robotaxis from both Waymo and Tesla are still relying on human operators, stealing luggage, or colliding with objects and animals in the streets. Federal regulators are even investigating a Waymo vehicle crashing into a child outside of an elementary school."
The United States has no federal laws regarding AV safety, relying instead on a patchwork of state regulations. Meanwhile, robotaxi rides continue to increase, reaching 36 million this year. But the tide is starting to turn: In California, police officers will be able to issue traffic citations to autonomous vehicles starting in June, the first state to set such regulations.
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