Stephanie, a tech worker from San Francisco, thought riding in a robotaxi from Waymo was the safest way to travel. Without a human driver, she felt more secure, especially as a woman. She didn’t have to worry about getting into a car with a stranger. Waymo’s self-driving cars take people around the city every month, and she was one of many who trusted them for their daily rides.
But one night, Stephanie’s ride took a frightening turn. She and her sister were in a Waymo Jaguar SUV, heading home at 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday when something unsettling happened. Another car started following them, honking and yelling. “Hey, ladies — you guys are hot!” the men shouted as they got closer. Stephanie felt trapped, unable to escape. If a human driver had been behind the wheel, she could have quickly taken a different route to shake off the men, but with no driver, she didn’t know what to do. She called 911, but the dispatcher said they couldn’t send help for a moving car. The situation made her feel vulnerable and unsure about the safety of self-driving cars, especially at night.
Stephanie’s experience wasn’t unique. Other Waymo passengers, mostly women, shared similar stories of feeling unsafe while riding in these driverless vehicles. Some had faced harassment, while others dealt with frightening encounters like being followed or having strangers try to enter the car. Though Waymo confirmed these incidents, the company said they were rare. Still, passengers felt that the company should improve how it handles safety threats during and after such situations.
Waymo cars are equipped with multiple cameras and sensors, but they struggle to respond quickly to human behavior. In one case, a passenger named Elliot found himself in a tense situation when a man tried to enter the car at a red light. The man knocked on the window, flashed what looked like a knife, and caused Elliot to panic. He wanted to drive away fast, but with no driver to make quick decisions, he felt helpless. Elliot recorded the incident and filed a police report, but he couldn’t get immediate help during the ride.
Another passenger, Madelline, had her own scary experience at 2 a.m. when a road rage dispute blocked the intersection. The two drivers in front of her were yelling and throwing things at each other. Madelline felt panicked because the robotaxi didn’t move to avoid the situation. She called her sister for support but didn’t think to call Waymo’s support line in that moment.
Though incidents like these have made some people question the safety of driverless cars, others still prefer robotaxis over traditional ride-hailing services. For example, Madelline feels safer without a human driver, but she would like more control over the route when something feels wrong.
Waymo has acknowledged these safety concerns and has taken steps to improve. They offer support agents who stay on the line with passengers during these distressing situations and work with law enforcement when needed. However, passengers can only ask for a change in their route through the app, not directly intervene during emergencies. And when Stephanie tried to get the car’s video footage after her scary encounter, Waymo declined, leaving her feeling even more unsure about the safety of these vehicles.
Experts agree that while Waymo’s self-driving cars can follow traffic rules and navigate the streets, they still struggle with handling the complexities of human behavior. As the technology continues to develop, companies like Waymo will need to find better ways to respond to these threats and improve the safety of their vehicles.
For now, passengers like Stephanie are left wondering: are self-driving cars truly safer than traditional ones, or do they leave riders vulnerable in new ways?
