Why self-driving taxis are facing their moment of truth in San Francisco

San Francisco may be the symbolic capital of the tech industry and the hub of next-generation services like artificial intelligence, but when it comes to self-driving cars, city officials are clear: not so fast. In June, for instance, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority released data estimating that Waymo and Cruise vehicles were involved in collisions with injuries reported at a rate higher than the national average for vehicles driven by humans. Futuristic test vehicles from Cruise and Waymo are a common sight in some parts of San Francisco. Ramon Iglesias, another San Francisco resident, said that though he had seen the videos and some erratic behaviour from the cars, he supports the expansion and worries any further obstacles could drive tech companies away. “We have a very strong Luddite segment here in San Francisco and you see places like Las Vegas and Miami go out of their way to embrace tech,” said Mr Iglesias, a data scientist.