Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, recently announced its plans to introduce “rider-only” trips on freeways in Phoenix, Arizona. This new development comes after nearly 15 years since Waymo’s inception, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey towards fully autonomous driving.
In a blog post, Waymo outlined its phased approach to freeway testing, starting with offering rides solely to its employees as passengers. This initial stage allows Waymo to gather feedback on the service and rider experience, which will be analyzed before expanding the offering to the general public. While no specific timeline was provided, Waymo assured that the expansion would occur step by step to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the operating environment and the system’s capabilities.
The gradual expansion of Waymo’s autonomous freeway rides is expected to result in shorter commute times, as the vehicles can utilize highway routes instead of seeking alternative options. This improvement addresses a common criticism of autonomous vehicles, where the duration of rides can be frustratingly long.
To showcase its progress, Waymo released a video demonstrating its vehicles operating at 65 mph on a freeway, alongside an image illustrating the time saved when using a freeway route.
Waymo’s entrance into the freeway domain follows setbacks faced by one of its competitors, Cruise, which was forced to halt operations in California due to multiple safety concerns. These incidents highlighted the potential risks and challenges associated with autonomous driving on highways.
Waymo has long emphasized its commitment to safety, distinguishing itself from other competitors in the autonomous vehicle space. The company released a report in which it detailed the rigorous steps taken to ensure the safety of its AV systems before deployment on public roads.
However, the introduction of freeway driving presents Waymo with new challenges, as mistakes on highways carry higher risks of serious injuries or fatalities. Despite Waymo’s claims about the overall safety of autonomous cars, a significant portion of the general public remains skeptical. According to a YouGov survey, 38% of US adults expressed fear that widespread use of driverless cars would increase traffic fatalities.
In light of these concerns, building trust through safety commitments and transparent testing standards becomes increasingly crucial. A Pew Research survey revealed that 63% of US adults would not be willing to ride in a driverless vehicle, while 45% would feel uncomfortable sharing the road with one. The majority (87%) agreed that driverless vehicles should adhere to higher testing standards compared to traditional automobiles.
The source of the article is from the blog combopop.com.br