Overview
- Supervisor Jackie Fielder announced a resolution urging state leaders to let counties decide whether and where autonomous vehicles may operate, following rallies at Randa's Market in the Mission District.
- Waymo confirmed one of its cars struck and killed KitKat on Oct. 27 as the vehicle pulled away after stopping to pick up passengers, and the company pledged a donation but has not released incident video or named a recipient.
- Two witnesses told local reporters the cat stood in front of the vehicle for several seconds before moving beneath it, contradicting Waymo’s description of the cat darting under the car, and community members are demanding the footage.
- Industry experts say current robotaxi designs lack reliable undercarriage detection and struggle with small-animal behavior, raising concerns about perception limits and calling for greater transparency from Waymo.
- Tech analysts warn county-by-county rules could create a patchwork that complicates operations and slows innovation, while AV deployments remain governed by DMV and CPUC permits with no reported enforcement action in this case.