Waymo One Step Closer to Launching Self-Driving Service in Philly, With Drivers Behind Wheel First
In a significant move towards expanding its autonomous vehicle service in the US, Waymo has announced that it will begin operating robotaxis in Philadelphia this year. The ride-hailing company had been testing its self-driving cars on the city's streets and highways with human drivers behind the wheel since July.
According to Ethan Teicher, a spokesperson for Waymo, the company plans to roll out its service in phases, starting with the downtown core and gradually expanding to other areas of the city. The first phase will involve deploying vehicles with human drivers, before fully autonomous driving is introduced later on.
Waymo has already received permission from PennDOT to operate autonomously with drivers in their cars, but regulatory approval for fully autonomous driving is still pending. The company's next step will be to get clearance from local authorities and city officials.
This move marks a significant expansion of Waymo's operations, which so far have been limited to Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Miami, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and Orlando. The company has also recently introduced self-driving services in London and Tokyo, its first international ventures.
Despite growing concerns over the safety of autonomous vehicles, Waymo claims that its data shows a significant reduction in crashes involving serious injuries and pedestrians. According to a study published by the company in May, there were 85% fewer crashes with serious injuries when its cars were compared with human drivers.
Waymo's plan to roll out self-driving services in Philadelphia comes amid growing public skepticism over the safety of autonomous vehicles. A recent survey found that only 39% of Americans trust self-driving cars, while more than half said they would not use such services. The company has faced criticism and scrutiny over isolated incidents involving its self-driving taxis, including a crash with a dog in San Francisco.
However, Waymo maintains that safety is its top priority and continues to improve its technology to enhance road safety. As the ride-hailing industry continues to evolve, Waymo's efforts to introduce autonomous vehicles to major US cities like Philadelphia are likely to spark further debate over their benefits and risks.
In a significant move towards expanding its autonomous vehicle service in the US, Waymo has announced that it will begin operating robotaxis in Philadelphia this year. The ride-hailing company had been testing its self-driving cars on the city's streets and highways with human drivers behind the wheel since July.
According to Ethan Teicher, a spokesperson for Waymo, the company plans to roll out its service in phases, starting with the downtown core and gradually expanding to other areas of the city. The first phase will involve deploying vehicles with human drivers, before fully autonomous driving is introduced later on.
Waymo has already received permission from PennDOT to operate autonomously with drivers in their cars, but regulatory approval for fully autonomous driving is still pending. The company's next step will be to get clearance from local authorities and city officials.
This move marks a significant expansion of Waymo's operations, which so far have been limited to Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, Miami, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and Orlando. The company has also recently introduced self-driving services in London and Tokyo, its first international ventures.
Despite growing concerns over the safety of autonomous vehicles, Waymo claims that its data shows a significant reduction in crashes involving serious injuries and pedestrians. According to a study published by the company in May, there were 85% fewer crashes with serious injuries when its cars were compared with human drivers.
Waymo's plan to roll out self-driving services in Philadelphia comes amid growing public skepticism over the safety of autonomous vehicles. A recent survey found that only 39% of Americans trust self-driving cars, while more than half said they would not use such services. The company has faced criticism and scrutiny over isolated incidents involving its self-driving taxis, including a crash with a dog in San Francisco.
However, Waymo maintains that safety is its top priority and continues to improve its technology to enhance road safety. As the ride-hailing industry continues to evolve, Waymo's efforts to introduce autonomous vehicles to major US cities like Philadelphia are likely to spark further debate over their benefits and risks.
So I think it's super cool that Waymo is finally taking steps to launch its self-driving service in Philly! 
I mean, we've been hearing about the tech for years now, but it's great to see them actually putting it into action. The fact that they're starting with human drivers behind the wheel first makes total sense - you gotta test the waters, right? 
And hey, I love how they're planning to roll out the service in phases and start with downtown Philly before expanding to other areas of the city. It's all about baby steps (or should I say, self-driving steps?)! 
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. Safety is key, but what about public trust? Shouldn't Waymo focus on getting people on board before rolling out autonomous vehicles? 
still, I guess they're doing some cool stuff with their data on crashes and injuries... 85% fewer, that's pretty wild! 
also, it's interesting that Philly is one of the first major US cities to get self-driving services, maybe this will help change people's minds about them being safe? 
I'm all about that layout life, you know? 
So, when it comes to Waymo's plan to roll out self-driving services in Philly, I think they're getting it right by starting with human drivers behind the wheel first 
. It makes total sense, especially considering how messy our roads can get 
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. Not that I don't trust Waymo's tech, but you gotta have some safety measures in place 
. And let's be real, it's not like they're gonna get it 100% right on the first try 
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. It's a big step for the ride-hailing industry and could potentially change the game 
. Can't wait to see how this all plays out! 
. I'm not saying Waymo is all bad, but I think they need to be more transparent about their tech and safety record before we start handing over our lives to machines 
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waymo is finally gonna launch its self-driving service in philly!!! i'm literally hyped 
i've been following this for ages, and it's amazing to see them take the next step 
so yeah, human drivers behind wheel first makes sense, but like, fingers crossed that they can make it happen without any major incidents 
safety is key, i get it, but come on, it's waymo we're talking about 
have you seen those crash numbers? 85% fewer crashes with serious injuries?? that's insane! 
they need to keep pushing the boundaries and making this tech better 
waymo's got some good data on the safety front, but u can't just ignore the fact that humans r always gonna be more prone 2 accidents than robots 
. With Waymo's commitment to safety and continuous improvement, I'm cautiously optimistic about the potential benefits of self-driving services in Philly and beyond 
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what do u guys think tho? should ppl be worried about self-driving cars or are they the future of transportation? 
Can't wait to see this service roll out in phases and hear more about the company's future plans 
But, like, can we pls get rid of those pesky dog-crashing incidents already 
? I mean, I get it, accidents happen, but still... Waymo's data shows a 85% reduction in crashes with serious injuries, which is straight fire 
. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for safety protocols and whatnot, but it feels like we're taking a step back instead of forward 
), at least we're having the conversation about this stuff.
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i mean, who doesn't want to ditch the traffic and focus on something more interesting... like making a homemade face mask recipe 
or whipping up a batch of my famous vegan chocolate chip cookies 
but seriously, it's about time we get some tech advancements that make our lives easier. 39% trust rate? that's low imo 
. I mean, with those stats showing 85% fewer crashes with serious injuries and all, it sounds too good to be true, right? Don't get me wrong, safety is super important, but we need more data and testing before I'm willing to hop into a self-driving taxi 
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I mean, don't get me wrong, Waymo's data shows some promising results, but isn't that just cherry-picking the good stuff? What about all the unseen variables and edge cases we're never even thinking of? It's like, we're playing a giant game of whack-a-mole with human lives