Waymo's self-driving cars have dramatically increased their presence on U.S. roads, growing from 50,000 trips per week two years ago to 500,000 today. The company claims its autonomous vehicles are ten times safer than human-driven cars. Supporting this, Reinsurance News reports an 88 percent reduction in property damage claims and a 92 percent reduction in bodily injury claims involving Waymo vehicles.
Adam Thierer, author of Permissionless Innovation, emphasizes that 94 percent of all accidents are attributable to human error and argues that self-driving technology can address one of the leading causes of death among Americans. A passenger in a recent video stated, "The car did a better job than if somebody was driving!"
Despite these safety benefits, some politicians oppose the widespread adoption of robotaxis. New York State Senator Luis Sepulveda (D–Bronx) advocates for laws restricting motor vehicles for hire, citing the need to protect immigrant taxi and Uber drivers in his district. He expressed concerns about the potential loss of over 100,000 jobs almost overnight due to autonomous vehicle deployment.
The article draws a stark comparison, noting that notorious serial killers Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy combined killed about 80 people, while approximately 100 Americans die in car accidents every day. The author contends that politicians who delay the arrival of self-driving cars "have blood on their hands."
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