Re: San Francisco bicyclist sues over crash involving 2 Waymo cars

Radey Shouman <shouman@comcast.net> wrote:

Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> writes:
 

Radey Shouman <shouman@comcast.net> wrote:

Seems the initiating incident was a dooring by a Waymo passenger on the
driver's side.  I don't know how this is handled with human drivers, can
a driver be cited for failing to control a passenger?  After that the
cyclist alleges a second Waymo cut her off while heading for the curb.
At that point

 
Transport for london buses and black cabs and mini cabs absolutely get into
trouble for allowing someone to exit in an unsafe location, it’s also an
easy personal insurance claim!

 
Suppose it's a reasonable location, but someone on a bicycle happens to
be riding by?  If the driver opens his door he's clearly at fault.  Less
clear to me if it is a passenger, perhaps disregarding the professional
driver's advice.
 

Someone I knew had this happened to him, in Kingston one way system he was
in one of the lanes and someone (young woman) opened the door to exit the
car, and doored him, causing significant and life changing injuries, mainly
torn his arm open and is grip was never what it was.
 
Her insurance folded absolutely no defence, and the police where quite keen
to proceed with a case but he didn’t feel it was worth it, she was young
and utterly horrified at what she had done, so he didn’t see the value in
that.

 
Was she a passenger?  I don't know what a "one way system" is.

One way multiple lane systems that loops around Kingston it’s not
pedestrian friendly nor place you’d expect someone to exit the car! Yes she
was a passenger.

 

The bike hit the first car’s open door, ejecting the cyclist, and she
was thrown into the passenger side of the second car. She suffered
"serious" injuries and was taken to a hospital by ambulance, the
complaint says.
 
 
https://www.siliconvalley.com/2025/06/10/san-francisco-bicyclist-crash-waymo/
 
I have never seen a Waymo operating, and can't judge how dangerous they
might be compared to human drivers.
 

I believe all of the self driving vehicles like consistency so don’t like
pedestrian and cyclists and so on, hence the much easier lane assist
processing much faster.

 
Eventually we'll all be required to be implanted with radio
transponders, and transportation efficiency will reach undreamt of highs.
 

Have unsurprising been some suggestions that, countries need to to do this
and similar by the tech bros equally unsurprising it’s a political non
starter!

Roger Merriman