Self-driving cars not immune to fender benders

Mary Bruno

Mary Bruno Jun 28, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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          <article>
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                <h1>Self-driving cars not immune to fender benders</h1>
                <h2><p>The Associated Press reports that four of the nearly 50 cars now driving themselves around California have gotten into accidents since September. That's when the state started issuing road-test permits to companies such as Google that are experimenting with "autonomous driving." Cars were at fault in</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/mary-bruno-crosscut-com/">Mary Bruno</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p><a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/ap-exclusive-self-driving-cars-having-accidents-in-california/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">The Associated Press reports</a> that four of the nearly 50 cars now driving themselves around California have gotten into accidents since September. That's when the state started issuing road-test permits to companies such as Google that are experimenting with "autonomous driving." Cars were at fault in only two of the mishaps; the other two are blamed on the person who still has to be in the driver's seat.</p><p>Google's Lexus SUVs were involved in three of the four accidents. Parts supplier Delphi Automotive claimed the other car. Both companies insist that their vehicles were blame free, and that the accidents were minor.</p>
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The Associated Press reports that four of the nearly 50 cars now driving themselves around California have gotten into accidents since September. That's when the state started issuing road-test permits to companies such as Google that are experimenting with "autonomous driving." Cars were at fault in only two of the mishaps; the other two are blamed on the person who still has to be in the driver's seat.

Google's Lexus SUVs were involved in three of the four accidents. Parts supplier Delphi Automotive claimed the other car. Both companies insist that their vehicles were blame free, and that the accidents were minor.

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By Mary Bruno

Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,