We Just Got A Lot More Data About The Safety Of Self-Driving Taxis

In a number of cities across the U.S., so-called robotaxis are picking up passengers and transporting them to their destinations without a human driver behind the wheel. This emerging industry has captured a lot of attention, but not all of it has been positive.

There have been significant concerns raised about safety — particularly that of pedestrians and cyclists sharing the road with much faster and heavier vehicles.

Waymo releases its results

Along with General Motors-owned Cruise, one of the biggest names in this segment is Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet. Now, Waymo is contributing to the conversation about the safety of its vehicles with the findings of a major study focused on vulnerable road users, or VRUs.

Research shows that pedestrians and those riding bikes or motorcycles account for thousands of deaths and injuries caused by traffic collisions each year. Unfortunately, VRUs are often treated as an afterthought when it comes to compiling vehicle safety data that prioritizes drivers and passengers.

To its credit, however, Waymo at least appears interested in transparency regarding the risks posed by robotaxis.

Finding room for improvement

According to Waymo, its decision to conduct this study in collaboration with German research group VUFO came from a desire to improve the way its driverless technology “decides” how to respond in certain situations.

The report found that VRUs are most susceptible to injury or death from motor vehicles in a few situations, including:

• When they catch drivers by surprise
• When trees, buildings or other obstacles reduce visibility
• When a vehicle is turning or changing speed

After studying the circumstances of 335 VRU-related crashes from across six different cities, Waymo safety researcher John Scanlon said the emerging data “is critical in developing effective strategies to reduce injuries and fatalities.”

Chris Agee November 12th, 2024

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