Robotaxi companies must do more to prove safety, Waymo co-CEO says

During an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Waymo co-CEO Takedra Mawakana emphasized the need for greater safety transparency from companies developing autonomous vehicles. When questioned about which companies prioritize road safety, Mawakana expressed uncertainty, stating, "I don’t know who’s on that list, because they’re not telling us what’s happening with their fleets." The discussion centered around the critical balance between scaling operations and ensuring safety. Mawakana referenced recent data released by Waymo, highlighting that their autonomous vehicles are statistically five times safer than human drivers and twelve times safer in relation to pedestrian interactions. While she refrained from naming specific competitors, it is widely known that only a handful of companies in the U.S. are actively pursuing robotaxi technologies. Tesla, for instance, publishes quarterly reports on its Autopilot driver assistance system, which focuses on highway driving—an area where crash rates are lower. However, concerns have been raised as these reports indicate a recent increase in accidents, and no safety data regarding Tesla’s robotaxi pilot program in Austin, Texas, has been made public. Other contenders in the robotaxi space, such as Zoox and May Mobility, are either at the early stages of deployment or still conducting tests. Zoox has recently started offering rides in Las Vegas, while May Mobility and Pony AI have yet to introduce their services commercially in the U.S. Aurora, known for its self-driving trucks, has established a safety framework but also faces scrutiny. Mawakana concluded with a strong message about accountability: "If you’re going to put vehicles on the road without a driver, and have someone remotely monitoring the fleet, it is essential to be transparent about your operations. Lack of transparency suggests you may not be fulfilling your responsibility to enhance road safety."