A Driverless Car in China Hit a Pedestrian. Social Media Users Are Siding With the Car

BEIJING - A driverless ride-hailing car in China hit a pedestrian, and people on social media are taking the carmaker's side, because the person was reportedly crossing against the light. The operator of the vehicle, Chinese tech giant Baidu, said in a statement to Chinese media that the car began moving when the light turned green and had minor contact with the pedestrian. The person was taken to a hospital where an examination found no obvious external injuries, Baidu said. Images posted online show a person sitting on the street in front of the driverless car with its rooftop sensors. Comments on social media largely supported Baidu, pointing out that the pedestrian had broken the law, the English-language Shanghai Daily newspaper said in a post on X. A driverless taxi operated by #Baidu's autonomous driving platform Apollo Go collided with a pedestrian in Wuhan on Jul 7. Baidu confirmed the incident, saying the woman crossed the street on a red light. Shanghai Daily July 9, 2024 Beijing-based search-engine and artificial intelligence company Baidu is a leader in the development of autonomous driving in China.