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Over 100 driverless cars stop mid-traffic in Wuhan in 'system malfunction'

9 hours ago
  • #technology
  • #robotaxi
  • #safety
  • A mass robotaxi outage in Wuhan, China, caused at least 100 self-driving cars to halt in mid-traffic, raising safety concerns.
  • Initial police findings indicate a 'system malfunction' led to the stoppage, with videos suggesting a highway collision, though no injuries were reported.
  • Baidu, which operates the Apollo Go service, did not immediately comment, and the cause is under further investigation.
  • Apollo Go is used in dozens of cities, mostly in China, with partnerships planned with Uber and Lyft for UK trials pending regulatory approval.
  • An expert noted that while driverless tech may be safer on average, it introduces new types of risks that require understanding.
  • Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere, such as a Waymo outage in San Francisco and an Apollo Go vehicle falling into a pit in Chongqing.