Robotaxis Unsafe or Safer Than Uber, Lyft Drivers? Here’s What Experts Say

Robotaxis has been operating in San Francisco already. Commuters and experts have different opinions as to its safety.

Are Robotaxis Safe or Not?

James Clayton, a BBC North America technology reporter, shared his experience with robotaxis. He says it has no driver and prompts him to unlock the door with his phone. However, one time, when he was about to get in, one passer-by approached him and warned him, "They're unsafe."

The concerned citizen reportedly said they saw a robotaxi nearly running over someone before telling him to be careful. Clayton acknowledged that the person was among those who don't like robotaxis. However, the city officials had already agreed to make a dangerous experiment by allowing the driverless cabs to operate.

On Aug. 10, 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to allow two cab companies - Waymo and Cruise - to run a 24-hour service. They were only previously allowed to operate paid rides at night.

Before coming up with the votes, the officials listened to six hours of public comment, highlighting the various comments about the new transport technology.

Uber and Lyft drivers expressed concern that the rise of robotaxis will threaten their ability to support their families. According to them, they would lose their jobs with the growth of self-driving taxis. Rosine, an Uber driver in the city, stressed that she's a single mother.

Others argued that robotaxis haven't demonstrated their safety. Matthew Sutter, a cab driver, claimed that he's into technology, but he doesn't think robotaxis are ready to serve the citizens safely.

Garbage truck representatives claimed the self-drive cabs frequently broke down and blocked their vehicles. The fire department in San Francisco has criticized the autos for the same reason, alleging that it has been blocked 55 times this year.

Others who represented people with physical disabilities questioned how they would manage to board cabs without a driver's assistance. The acceptance of robotaxis, according to Mara Math, a member of the Paratransit Coordinating Council, would "leave disabled San Franciscans out in the cold."

However, many supported it. San Francisco orthopedic surgeon and avid cyclist George Janku observed how these automobiles behave and said he trusts robotaxis over angry and distracted drivers. He added that he has dealt with numerous severe accidents involving human drivers and insisted that robotaxis was safer.

Blind Jessie Wolinsky said that Uber and Lyft drivers had made unwanted advances. According to her, she has never before felt such a high sense of safety thanks to Waymo cars.

Another mother claimed that taxi drivers had turned her away because of the car seats she had for her children, something that a driverless car would never do.

Clayton said he has ridden Cruise's robotaxis several times in the past months and hasn't encountered any accidents. However, he also experienced riding one, which broke down in the middle of the street.

ALSO READ: Self-Driving Tesla Abruptly Stops on San Francisco Bay Bridge, Causing 8-Vehicle Crash, Injures 9 People

What Is a Robotaxi?

Robotaxis has an open, software-defined architecture and performs the most fundamental tasks when operating. Self-driving cars will always be at the forefront of technology because of DNNs that are updated and enhanced within the car.

High-performance, centralized computing is required for each of these new capabilities. The entire development pipeline must be overhauled from beginning to end with a single architecture from training to validation to real-time processing to achieve this paradigm change in personal transportation.

Robotaxis is in a far better position for commercial deployment than privately owned autonomous vehicles and operates quite differently. The business that built them can closely monitor their use. They can be instantly withdrawn off the road in inclement weather or if there is another problem, and they can be released in a strictly constrained area where they are thoroughly trained.

Unfortunately, there isn't a set, officially recognized methodology for assessing the safety of autonomous vehicles. In a study on its first million "rider-only" miles, Waymo had 18 minor contact occurrences, approximately half involving a human driver touching a stationary Waymo and two police-reported wrecks (no injuries).

Since comparable data sets are rarely available, the business advises against directly comparing human drivers. On the other side, according to Cruise, in its first million driverless miles, its robotaxis had 53% fewer collisions than the typical human ride-hail driver in San Francisco and 73% fewer collisions with a serious risk of injury.