Waymo driverless car near‑miss with cyclist in London
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Waymo driverless car nearly collided with a cyclist on a London roundabout; a safety driver manually applied brakes at the entrance after the car initially failed to slow.
- Waymo spokesperson said the ADS detected a cyclist near the outer edge of the roundabout and the safety driver assumed manual control to stop the vehicle.
- Waymo declined to provide data on how often safety drivers intervene in London and did not answer questions about algorithm improvements.
- London cyclists reported generally cautious Waymo behavior, though one cyclist recalled a roadworks incident where a "NARROW LANES DON'T OVERTAKE CYCLISTS" sign prompted a Waymo to overtake cyclists.
- Simon Munk of London Cycling Campaign warned that software updates could alter autonomous‑car behavior and stressed the need for continuous scrutiny.
- Wayve is expected to launch driverless taxis in London within months, potentially adopting a different safety approach.
- Waymo previously made its San Francisco fleet more assertive, which sparked public concern about aggressive autonomous driving.
Why it matters: The near‑miss highlights that autonomous vehicles still rely on human safety drivers, and Waymo’s refusal to share intervention data hampers public trust. Cyclists and pedestrians could benefit from more predictable traffic, but they risk being marginalized if AI behavior shifts without ongoing oversight.
