Can that be that in US cities there is not trmendous amount of left turns? At least that was the rwason I heard why the Amazon Logistocs routes in Europe were planned without any left turns driving everybody crazy and adding a lot of wasted time.

US cities have plenty of left turns, except for in new jersey where they're frowned upon. However, there can be a long wait to turn left, depending on conditions, so it might not be more time to drive a bit farther but turn right more often.

The waymo cars have trouble with getting hit while making unprotected left turns because they drive very cautiously. Except for the time they hit a bus, because they somehow thought a bus would swerve to avoid them (although the then Google vehicle was being overly cautious and trying to avoid an inconsequential object in the road). All in all, I would rather the waymo style of overcaution and immobility than the Uber style of over confidence and ignoring of potential obstacles. However, I would currently still prefer mediocre to average human drivers on the road with me over a waymo.

> All in all, I would rather the waymo style of overcaution and immobility

From what I've read here and in the linked article, a Waymo car would be unable to pass a driving test here in Germany. Consequentially, they shouldn't/couldn't be allowed unsupervised on German roads, just like a learner driver. (In Germany driving schools are mandatory for a license and their cars are fitted with dual controls for the instructor).

The reason Amazon plans like that is because it is faster. Left turns with traffic lights have a higher average waiting time. Also, the route can have left turns, they just have a much higher penalty.

That sounds like an assumption that holds in the US much more than elsewhere, because in the US you don't have to wait for the traffic light if you turn right, but elsewhere you do.

The problem is usually more with unprotected left turns at stop signs [or pulling out of driveways]--not traffic lights. (Though traffic lights can be an even bigger issue if there's no left turn arrow--leading to people making turns when the light has either just turned red or it's just turned green and the oncoming traffic technically has priority.)

That Waymo has not solved left turning is not really a conclusion supported by that article. A supportable conclusion is that the impatient meatbags are angry that the Waymo van won't dangerously veer out into oncoming traffic.

LOL, yes, the meatbags. Waymo exists to serve Waymo's purpose, it is a higher entity beholden only to its funding source not to petty meatbag concerns.

Well, yes, companies are self replicators, just like living things.

Waymo's purpose is to not kill the meatbags. Unlike Uber, Waymo has been very successful at this. Also the claim was that the car cannot turn left on its own which is completely wrong. There is merely a very high safety margin so that the car will only drive when it is sure that no collision will occur.

YN is so full of Google FUD. How is this comment not voted down to oblivion is beyond me.