The company has faced controversy in the past, with incidents of its vehicles blocking public transport, emergency vehicles, and even causing injuries. In San Francisco, a hub for autonomous vehicle startups, there have been calls for a slower rollout of these services due to insufficient testing data and lack of incident logs. Despite these challenges, Waymo maintains that its vehicles are less likely to be involved in injury-causing crashes than human vehicles.
Key takeaways:
- Waymo has received approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate its driverless vehicles in Los Angeles and parts of the Bay Area, despite protests from major cities and counties.
- Waymo's spokesperson, Julia Ilina, stated that the company would take a "careful and incremental approach" to expanding its robotaxi service and would work closely with city officials, local communities, and partners.
- Waymo and other autonomous rideshare companies have faced controversy, with incidents of vehicles blocking roads, public transport, and emergency vehicles, as well as causing injuries.
- There is significant public mistrust in these vehicles, culminating in an incident where a Waymo vehicle was burned during a Lunar New Year celebration in San Francisco.