Google drops autopilot driving feature after test driver caught sleeping at wheel

Google’s self-driving car programme Waymo has axed the development of features that require motorists to re-take control of an autonomous vehicle in dangerous situations.

Waymo’s CEO Jon Krafcik told Reuters reporters that autopilot reliance caused test drivers to become easily distracted, with one being caught napping or applying makeup while the car travelled speeds of up to 56mph.

During a media tour of a Waymo test facility in California, Krafcik told reporters: “What we found was pretty scary. It’s hard to take over because they [the test drivers] have lost contextual awareness.”

Following the filmed tests – which took place in 2013 but were not shown publicly until the tour – the company decided to ditch systems that required drivers to take control of an autonomous car at the sound of an alert.

Instead, Waymo would focus on technology that didn’t require human intervention.

An example of this can be seen in the self-driving Chyrsler Pacifica minivans the company is currently testing. The only drive controls in these vehicles are two buttons, one is used by the passenger to start a ride, while the other instructs the minivan to pull over at its next opportunity.

Waymo also operates a small-scale ride-hailing pilot programme in Phoenix, Arizona, that uses self-driving cars. According to Reuters, the service is limited to roads that the company has conducted extensive tests on.

However, Krafcik told the news organisation Waymo was “close” to expanding beyond the small experiment.