A Waymo self-driving car parked outside Google’s San Francisco headquarters. Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
If you’ve been eager to experience a ride in Waymo’s self-driving cars, now is your opportunity. The company announced on Tuesday that anyone in San Francisco can hail a ride without needing prior approval from a waitlist.
Why it matters: San Francisco becomes the second U.S. city, following Phoenix, where Waymo’s robotaxis are available to the general public.
How it works: To request a ride with Waymo, simply use the Waymo One app, similar to using Uber or Lyft. The pricing structure is also comparable, with riders paying a base fee plus charges based on time and distance traveled.
By the numbers: Alphabet-owned Waymo revealed in a press release that nearly 300,000 people signed up on its waitlist to use the service while it was expanding operations in the city.
Quick background: Last August, the company obtained approval to operate its driverless cars around the clock in San Francisco, initially limited to rides with a safety driver.
In March, Waymo secured a permit to operate on San Francisco freeways and other highways within the Bay Area. The company has been active in San Francisco since 2009.
Reality check: The rollout of autonomous vehicles here has faced challenges.
Cruise, for instance, lost its permits to operate autonomously in the city after one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian 20 feet in October. Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission fined Cruise $112,500 for withholding information about the incident, leaving the company unable to offer rides in California.
In February, a Waymo vehicle collided with a cyclist, resulting in minor injuries. and traffic violations. NHTSA received nearly two dozen incident reports, including collisions with stationary objects.The bigger picture: According to USA Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in May that federal regulators were investigating Waymo for crashes
On the flip side: “We are proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven, as well as our demonstrated commitment to safety transparency,” Waymo told the Arizona Republic. According to company data, Waymo vehicles are involved in 0.4 collisions per million miles driven, significantly lower than the 2.78 rate for human-driven cars.
My take: I personally tried Waymo earlier this year in Phoenix, and observing a car turn, brake, accelerate, and even signal without a driver in the front seat was truly a glimpse into the future.
