Autonomous vehicles that can carry passengers on public roads without a human driver have long been a topic of discussion, but only recently have they started to become a reality. Waymo, a driverless taxi company owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, has been making significant strides in developing a full-fledged driverless taxi service in multiple cities, performing 100,000 rides a week.
Safety concerns have been a major factor hindering the widespread adoption of driverless cars, especially after a fatal accident involving an autonomous Uber-operated car in 2018. However, reports show that most accidents involving Waymo cars are caused by human drivers in other vehicles, and that Waymo’s autonomous cars have a significantly lower crash rate compared to human drivers.
Several cities across the United States are quickly embracing the concept of driverless cars:
San Francisco, California
Despite its challenging terrain, Waymo has successfully launched its driverless taxi service in San Francisco, offering rides to the general public since June 2024.
Los Angeles, California
Waymo expanded its service area to cover a significant portion of the Los Angeles metro area, allowing customers to travel from Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles.
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix has been a testing ground for driverless cars since 2020, with Waymo expanding its services across the metro area and planning to test on highways to improve travel times.
NEXT UP: Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia
Waymo’s partnership with Uber will soon bring driverless rides to Austin and Atlanta, offering a seamless experience for riders requesting Uber services.
This article originally appeared in print under the headline “2024: The Year of the Driverless Car.”
