- Waymo robotaxis in the US cause fatal and serious injury crashes at a rate 1.5 times higher than New York City's for-hire vehicles per mile driven, according to a new report.
- The report compared Waymo incidents nationwide to NYC's Uber and Lyft fleets from 2020, noting Waymo's rate is skewed due to fewer miles driven (fewer than 4,000 Waymos vs. nearly 120,000 for-hire vehicles).
- Waymo disputed the report's methodology and criteria for 'serious' injuries, emphasizing the need for apples-to-apples comparisons.
- For all crashes, Waymo's safety record improved, with 67% fewer injury-causing crashes per million miles than NYC's for-hire vehicles, but researchers caution against firm conclusions due to limited data.
- The report also argues Waymos could worsen traffic congestion due to parking issues when without passengers, and urges lawmakers to proceed cautiously before approving broader operations in New York.