Waymo Still Thinks It Can Make Your Streets Safer After Recent Troubling Incidents

If you've paid any amount of attention to the news surrounding autonomous cars over the years, then it's likely you already know that companies like Waymo — Google's autonomous taxi service — have been slowly expanding. And with that expansion has come a slew of different issues that range from things like the Waymo vehicles in Texas ignoring the stop signs on buses as kids unloaded to go home, to things like a Waymo hitting a beloved cat in another neighborhood. There have also been other incidents, like when a Waymo came to a stop on a light rail track, and even once when a Waymo drove into the middle of an active police situation. Despite these mishaps, though, Waymo claims that drivers are actually probably safer with Waymo on the road than without.

While it all seems troubling on the surface, Waymo says that it is constantly looking at the data provided by incidents like this and using it to improve the service and safety of its robotaxi fleet. And while Waymo has actively recalled its software and made changes to fix problems like its vehicles ignoring school bus stop signs, the increasing number of incidents related to Waymo vehicles continues to put some neighborhoods on edge. Some neighborhoods have even resorted to putting up signs that say "No Waymo."

One of the biggest questions surrounding robotaxis like those provided by Waymo and even Tesla is "Are they safe?" These autonomous vehicles have continued to drive the same streets as human drivers, with Waymo claiming that its driverless cars have driven 127 million rider-only miles without a human driver. The company also claims its autonomous vehicles experienced 90% fewer crashes involving serious injury, and that 82% fewer airbags have been deployed in any of the crashes that have occurred compared to human-driven vehicles. 

There are, of course, several different layers to these safety stats. And while these benchmarks are helpful, they don't outline the other issues that autonomous vehicles like Waymo might have to contend with, like glitches and hacks. While Waymo says it has come a long way — and the numbers even appear to back that up — there is no forgetting the fact that these issues have existed at all.

The train incident wasn't the first time we've seen Waymo vehicles run into problems. Back in 2023, we saw a glitch cause a traffic jam in Phoenix, Arizona. While a few years have passed since then, we've also recently seen AI fall prey to hacks — like when researchers used prompt injections to take control of a smart home using an infected calendar invite. While Waymo utilizes a different type of AI than Gemini does, it is still a valid concern that many worry about. Ultimately, Waymo claims that using its service is safe and that it is constantly updating its vehicles to ensure it has the best security available. There might be a few hiccups here and there, but overall, the stats say it's probably okay to take that Waymo taxi to the airport.