For a technology that’s supposed to remove friction and revolutionize urban transportation, Waymo’s robotaxis are creating a different kind of problem.
In a closed-door meeting with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last month, first responders from San Francisco and Austin had nothing nice to say about the robotaxi service. According to an audio recording of the session obtained by WIRED, police, firefighters, and emergency officials say autonomous vehicles—particularly Waymo’s—are increasingly getting in the way when seconds matter.
“I believe the technology was deployed too quickly in too vast amounts, with hundreds of vehicles, when it wasn’t really ready,” said Austin Police Lieutenant William White, who heads the department’s Highway Enforcement Command…