Waymo’s driverless taxis face scrutiny over motorcades and security in Washington, D.C.
Washington’s city council is debating a bill that would permit Waymo’s autonomous ride-hailing service, amid concerns that motorcades and remote monitoring could create traffic snarls and security risks.
A forthcoming D.C. council bill could allow Waymo to operate driverless ride-hailing vehicles without a human driver on board, changing the existing emergency-driver requirement. Researchers such as Missy Cummings note that the city’s dense schedule of motorcades, protests and road closures presents scenarios that may cause autonomous cars to freeze, potentially creating severe traffic jams. Waymo’s remote-assistance model, which employs staff in the Philippines, Michigan and Arizona, has raised national-security concerns, especially because its latest robotaxis are manufactured in Ningbo, China.
Waymo’s chief safety officer described the remote help as a “phone a friend” system, and the firm stresses that its cybersecurity measures keep the vehicles under independent control. The company has demonstrated over 300,000 autonomous miles in D.C. with a validation driver present and cites more than 20 million fully autonomous rides elsewhere. The council’s decision, not yet scheduled, will determine whether the service can launch as early as next year.
Why it matters
Autonomous taxis could disrupt traffic and pose security challenges in the nation’s capital.
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