Google's self-driving car is the victim in a serious crash

Google's self-driving cars don't have a flawless safety record, but it's clearer than ever that careless human drivers remain the greater threat. A commercial van running a red light struck one of Google's autonomous Lexus SUVs as it crossed a Mountain View intersection, seriously damaging the side of the vehicle. Neither the Google observers nor the van driver were hurt, thankfully. However, this is likely the worst incident to date for Google's driverless cars -- previous crashes have typically involved humans rear-ending the robotic cars at low speed. Google will likely shed full detail on the collision in its self-driving car report due at the end of the month.