Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

Post by fragmede » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 1:43 AM UTC

bryanlarsen wrote: post #111

xnx wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Highways are on average a much more structured and consistent environment, but every single weird thing (pedestrians, animals, debris, flooding) that occurs on streets also happens on highways. When you're doing as many trips and miles as Waymo, once-in-a-lifetime exceptions happen every day. On highways the kinetic energy is much greater (Waymo's reaction time is superhuman, but the car can't brake any harder.) and…

Those constraints apply to humans too. So it seems likely that: - it's easier to get to human levels of safety on freeways then on streets - it's much harder to get to an order of magnitude better than humans on freeways than it is on streets Freeways are significantly safer than streets when humans are driving, so "as good as humans" may be acceptable there.

Post by choilive » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 1:57 AM UTC

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #371

bluGill wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I expect that Waymo will have standards. In theory Uber does as well, but since the drivers own their own cars they can't enforce them. A 15 year old car that has been well maintained is still safe to have on the road (within the limits of the safety systems on board), while a 6 year old car with a lot of miles that hasn't been maintained can be deadly.

You may be right, but historically speaking, "this company will stick to quality standards" is a bad bet compared to "this company will cut corners to squeeze out more profit".

Post by emmelaich » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:10 AM UTC

ang_cire wrote: post #192

cynicalsecurity wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It must be interesting being an Uber driver right now and literally watching the robots that will replace you driving around with you. You mean just like programmers watching AI replacing them?

AI doesn't replace programmers, it's used by programmers for efficiency. Waymo is most definitely not being used by taxi or rideshare drivers to be more efficient.

Post by AndrewKemendo » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:25 AM UTC

saalweachter wrote: post #290

s1mon wrote: post #10

How will Waymos handle speed limits on highways? In the city, they seem to stick to the rules. A large percentage of drivers in the bay area, including non-emergency police, drive well above the legal limit regularly. Unless Waymo sticks to the slow lane, it's going to be a weird issue.

It always blows my mind how aghast some people are at the idea of driving the speed limit . How dangerous they make it sound! My dudes, I have been driving the speed limit, even on freeways, for decades. Nothing bad happens. Your car doesn't explode. You don't instantly create thousand-car pileups. You get passed slightly more often than when you are speeding. You pass fewer cars. You get to your destination a few mi…

Post by NewJazz » Thu, Nov 13, 2025, 2:31 AM UTC

cortesoft wrote: post #340

sib wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you driven in LA? Traffic speed is generally bimodal: either stuck in traffic jam or easily 15 mph above the limit. (Source: live in LA, drive regularly.)

Yes, I drive in LA every day, since I have lived here 20 years. I literally have the 405 in my back yard. I can verify that there is always traffic on it by looking out my window.