Autonomous Vehicle Malfunctions, Strikes Sanitation Worker—Safety Flaws Sound Industry Alarm

Recently, a video showing an autonomous driving vehicle speeding toward sanitation workers has sparked widespread public concern. The vehicle, operating in Navigation-guided Cruise Assist (NCA) mode, suddenly crossed a solid lane marking and forcibly changed lanes into a channelizing area, failing to detect the sanitation workers who were performing road maintenance. The system only disengaged its autonomous driving mode 0.1 seconds before impact. The cause of the incident is still under investigation. Some analysts suggest that intense glare may have temporarily impaired the vehicle’s cameras, or that the system misidentified the sanitation workers—due to their unusual postures—as mere “visual noise” and ignored them. Additionally, some netizens have criticized the autonomous driving algorithm as overly aggressive, prioritizing efficiency at the expense of traffic rules. This incident highlights critical shortcomings in current autonomous driving technology, particularly in recognizing unusual scenarios and responding to emergencies. It serves as a stark reminder to users not to rely entirely on these systems and to remain fully attentive to road conditions with hands on the steering wheel at all times. Industry experts are urging that safety must be the top priority in technological development, calling for accelerated improvements to enhance system reliability in complex environments.