For a few years, it seemed as though talk of robotaxis was all the rage. With Waymo launching in 2020 and Cruise making its debut just a year later, suddenly the streets were abuzz with possibilities. The reality of such a huge endeavor — completely transforming the transportation market — has been affected by real-world problems and red tape. Rules of the road are being rewritten on a daily basis to now allow for vehicles that are not being piloted by humans. As the laws and regulations begin to reflect the reality of a world with autonomous vehicles, there will undoubtedly be more of them on the road.
The Safety Paradox of Robotaxis: The Pros
One of the most compelling reasons for the existence of robotaxis is safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has often cited a statistic that 94% of all traffic accidents are caused by driver error. Although this figure has stirred up some controversy, even if it were to be halved, this would still be a startling statistic. The fact remains that humans cause an astonishing amount of car accidents. Humans become tired, they sometimes make poor decisions to drive under the influence, and the rise of smartphones has made this the era of distracted driving.
Safety Considerations of Robotaxis
The answer, therefore, to humans and their massive blunders while driving, would seem to be a switch to autonomous vehicles and the immediate adoption of robotaxis. But robotaxis are experiencing their own learning curve — and their mistakes are breathlessly covered by a news media that seems uncertain about their very place in our world. A federal investigation is currently looking into 22 incidents involving Waymo that that have taken place over the last few years. Interestingly, the complaints about these incidents seem very similar indeed to the complaints that tend to be lodged about human drivers — “erratic driving” and “ignoring the rules of the road”. As is so often the case with erratic human drivers as well, bystanders have caught footage of these incidents on the road. There have been viral videos featuring Waymo vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road, robotaxis driving into stationary objects, and committing a number of other infractions. While it is rare, injuries can occur from an autonomous vehicle and you should understand your rights if you are injured by a Waymo or other vehicle.
Highly Regarded but Not Perfect
Incredibly, out of all the 22 incidents mentioned, no one has been injured. While the technology may not be perfect yet, sensors that are not properly identifying hazards on the road may be to blame for some mishaps. The consensus among tech experts seems to be in fact, that the technology is very good but still evolving. Because this evolution is happening on the world stage, though, it seems like robotaxi companies are making a slower migration to the big cities. Testing in areas such as Phoenix allows the vehicles to make less visible mistakes than if they were in larger markets such as New York and Los Angeles. This does not mean, however, that the company does not want to tap into these larger markets. Waymo has been making an L.A. debut in recent months — although it is important to note that the cars have been trained to avoid the city’s notoriously difficult freeway system.
The Bottom Line
Although robotaxis have been progressing at a rate that seems a bit slow for some, it would appear companies such as Waymo are exhibiting appropriate caution while rolling out their services. The coming months promise to be very interesting for robotaxis in general.
