Baidu Robotaxi Accident Shines Spotlight on Safety of Unmanned Cars

A recent accident involving a pedestrian hit by an unmanned robotaxi operated by Baidu Inc. has put claims by the Chinese tech giant that self-driving technology will greatly reduce traffic accidents under the spotlight, just as Beijing and Shanghai governments seek to accelerate the commercialization of smart cars.

The accident occurred in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province on Sunday, when the robotaxi “began moving as the traffic light turned green” and “had minor contact with a pedestrian who was crossing the street on a red light,” a spokesperson at Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform Apollo Go told Caixin.