Ahh, Waymos. The self-driving Jaguar that zooms down SoCo or even arrives on campus. Some love them for their technology and the fact that they have no driver, while others wouldn’t touch them with a 10-foot pole. However, I have mixed feelings about these new vehicles. 

Admittedly, my experiences with Waymos are limited. I haven’t had the opportunity to ride in one, yet, but the experiences that I do have were rather intriguing. 

I first encountered a Waymo on a narrow street where cars had to take turns passing through. Car by car, everyone was taking their turn getting through the street. Then came my turn, but to my surprise, a Waymo was facing me. Now I had the question of “does the Waymo go first or do I go first?” I waited just to see if it would go first, but, against my expectations, it let me go first. I turned, looked in my rearview mirror and saw it slowly roll away from its stop. I assumed it wouldn’t necessarily understand the “one car at a time” rule. But, it proved my assumption wrong.

The second instance involved an everyday situation: switching lanes in order to make a turn. This time, instead of having to be at the mercy of the person behind the wheel, I was at the mercy of technology. I put my signal on to indicate I needed to switch lanes and somehow it knew to  “step off” the gas and allow me to cut in front. 

This technology could provide some comfort while on the road. Not having to deal with the struggle of unpredictable or merciless drivers on the busy Austin roads? It would be an absolute dream come true. According to Waymo’s website, “it instantly determines the exact trajectory, speed, lane and steering maneuvers needed to behave safely throughout its journey.” When you read about the technology behind the vehicles and the outstanding numbers Waymo has contributed to improving road safety in its operating cities, it all sounds very convincing. 

There’s some concerns about autonomous vehicles. In May 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began a probe into Waymo’s 5th Generation Automated Driving System software. 

While there was a  small amount of incidents, it was enough for Waymo to institute a new software update to its entire fleet to reduce the chance of any “collisions with chains, gates, and other gate-like roadway barriers.” Their entire fleet was updated between November 2024 and December 2024. 

The official recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reported in May, that 1,212 Waymo’s vehicles that utilized the previous version of the automated driving system were recalled. A Fox 7 report found that complaints of speeding, stalling and crashes came from the Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and residents.

While Waymos are the future of taxis and vehicle technology, there are  many things that worry me. I understand that while there were no injuries that resulted from the accidents cited in the previous recall, it’s still sufficient anxiety to imagine that it could lead to a much more severe incident. As much technology and active improvement there has been to the software, the unpredictability of a ride going sideways is a bit too much for comfort.

Another worry that I’ve recently discovered is the fear that the popularity of the autonomous taxi will trigger other car manufacturers to create their own version of the Waymo, but that their rate of production could create rushed and faulty software.Tesla went public with their version of a robotaxi this past summer, using their own unique software, but in its early testing it’s shown repeated violations of traffic and safety laws.

Waymo and other autonomous cars have so much potential. They can increase safety on the roads, they can protect people who feel uncomfortable going in an unknown Uber and they provide accessibility to those who cannot or choose not to drive. These benefits can even increase and grow as time and development go on. As someone who sometimes doesn’t want to tackle the bustling traffic of the city, a Waymo would be great in that instance. However, the unpredictability and uncertainty of the software is enough for me to wait a while before they become my regular Uber.