Waymo to roll out driverless taxis on highways in three US cities

Waymo is preparing to expand its driverless taxi operations onto highways in three major U.S. cities starting Wednesday, marking a significant advancement for the self-driving initiative owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet. This expansion will include high-speed routes in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, enabling Waymo vehicles to transport passengers to a broader range of destinations, including San Jose International Airport. This milestone represents a crucial step for Waymo as it strives to promote the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles. For the first time, the company will offer paid driverless taxi services on highways without a human driver present in the vehicle. Dmitri Dolgov, Waymo's co-CEO, emphasized the technical challenges involved, stating, “Achieving fully autonomous freeway operations is a profound engineering feat—easy to conceive, yet hard to truly master.” Waymo began testing its vehicles on highways last year but had previously restricted its paid rides to designated streets within five cities. The introduction of high-speed travel raises additional safety concerns. The Waymo vehicles will now operate at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour, which heightens the potential risk of serious accidents. In response to questions about public acceptance of potential fatal incidents involving autonomous taxis, Tekedra Mawakana, Waymo's other co-CEO, expressed optimism during a recent appearance at TechCrunch’s Disrupt summit, stating, “I think society will.” This progression highlights the ongoing evolution of driverless technology and its implications for urban transportation.