Report: Some Ariz. Residents Violently Oppose Self-Driving Cars

Jan. 2, 2019—There have been nearly two dozen attacks on driverless vehicles over the past two years in Chandler, Ariz.

Some people have pelted Waymo vans with rocks, according to police reports, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Others have repeatedly tried to run the vehicles off the road. One woman screamed at one of the vans, telling it to get out of her suburban neighborhood. A man pulled up alongside a Waymo vehicle and threatened the employee riding inside with a piece of PVC pipe.

Some analysts say they expect more such behavior as the nation moves into a broader discussion about the potential for driverless cars to unleash colossal changes in American society. The debate touches on fears ranging from eliminating jobs for drivers to ceding control over mobility to autonomous vehicles, according to the report.