Tech Fukui suspends driverless public transport after accident

[thomas]

Japan's first public transit service without a driver has been halted after its first crash on Oct. 29 in Fukui Prefecture , delaying the country's efforts for autonomous transportation. A driverless electric vehicle with four passengers hit a parked, empty bicycle in Eiheiji at around 10:25 a.m., but no one was hurt, police said. The service operator is looking into why the driverless vehicle's safety system did not stop it before it ran into the bike's back wheel.

The operator said the driverless public transit service will be suspended until new safety measures are implemented, which is not expected to happen anytime soon. In May, a public-private partnership launched the Level 4 driving automation service, in which the vehicle travels along fixed routes under specific conditions. The shuttle service was available on a 2-kilometer route on weekends and holidays. The government plans to launch similar services in 50 areas nationwide by 2025 and in more than 100 areas by 2027 to boost the country's local public transportation network.

Brakes applied to driverless public transport after Fukui accident | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[musicisgood]

Yep just imagine the semi trucks in America with no drivers I think they already have them maybe but there's a lot of people really don't like the idea of driverless truck drivers especially on the icy roads during the winter.