Self-driving cars are causing mayhem on SF streets

In letters to the California Public Utilities Commission seeking to curtail their expansion, the city's Municipal Transportation Agency and County Transportation Authority documented at least 92 incidents between late May and December where self-driving taxis created mayhem on city streets -- disrupting traffic, Muni transit and emergency responders.

Jan 22: Firefighters were battling a two-alarm apartment blaze on the corner of Hayes and Divisadero streets when a driverless Cruise car entered the active firefighting scene and nearly ran over fire hoses on the street. Firefighters at the scene stood in front of the car to try to get it to stop, but the autonomous vehicle came to a halt only after one of them smashed the Cruise car's front window amid the chaotic effort to put out a fire that displaced 25 people.

Sep 22: A Cruise vehicle entered a bus lane, stopped next to a Muni bus near the intersection of O'Farrell and Franklin streets and blocked traffic for 21 minutes.

Sep 23: Five Cruise autonomous vehicles blocked southbound Mission Street just north of the intersection with 29th Street. One of the cars stopped on the central double yellow line, partially blocking an opposing lane of traffic. Traffic was stopped for at least 13 minutes.

Sep 30: A Cruise vehicle came to a stop after nearly colliding with a Muni N-Judah train at the intersection of Carl and Cole streets. The Cruise car blocked light-rail tracks in both directions for close to seven minutes.

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