Waymo Robotaxis Are Saving Lives, Physician Calls It ‘A Public Well being Breakthrough’

Positive, we get pleasure from making enjoyable of Waymo robotaxis for dangerous driving. However in fact, the laborious information says they are literally higher drivers than people. In an op-ed article for the New York OccasionsDr. Jonathan Slotkin examines this information and has some slightly robust opinions from his perspective as a neurosurgeon:

If Waymo’s outcomes are indicative of the broader way forward for autonomous automobiles, we could also be on the trail to eliminating visitors deaths as a number one explanation for mortality in the US. Whereas many see this as a tech story, I view it as a public well being breakthrough.

Slotkin cites some slightly compelling statistics to help his assertions. Not like different robotaxi firms, Waymo bravely shares its crash statistics publicly on its web siteso you do not have to take our phrase for it. Over practically 100 million miles in 4 cities by way of July 2025, Waymo robotaxis have been concerned in 91 % fewer crashes with severe or worse accidents and 80 % fewer crashes with any harm in comparison with human drivers. Slotkin additionally factors out 96 % fewer injury-causing crashes at intersections, which trigger probably the most lethal accidents.

There is a public well being crucial to shortly develop the adoption of autonomous automobiles. Greater than 39,000 Individuals died in motorized vehicle crashes final 12 months, greater than murder, airplane crashes and pure disasters mixed. Crashes are the No. 2 explanation for demise for kids and younger adults. However demise is simply a part of the story. These crashes are additionally the main explanation for spinal wire harm. We surgeons see the aftermath of the ten,000 crash victims that come to emergency rooms daily. The mixed financial and quality-of-life toll exceeds $1 trillion yearly, greater than your entire U.S. navy or Medicare price range.

Whereas some persons are chomping on the bit to say, “Robotic, take the wheel,” Slotkin just isn’t a kind of, regardless of his robust push towards adopting autonomy. He is practical, understanding that the gear that provides Waymo’s robotaxis their totally autonomous capabilities prices $100,000 on high of the bottom automobile. The common driver cannot afford that, and it is seemingly a part of the explanation why Waymo nonetheless operates at a loss. Slotkin can also be speaking solely about autonomous methods as refined as Waymo’s, not Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised).” He is proper to exclude this as a result of FSD would not appear to grasp metropolis drivingwhich is the place Waymo completely operates.

This does poke a small gap in Slotkin’s assertions. Waymo let its vehicles head out on the freeway for the primary time final month, so the info as of this previous July represents solely low-speed metropolis driving. There are additionally many locations to drive exterior of cities the place Waymo has not but operated or collected information. Nonetheless, freeway driving is arguably simpler than metropolis driving. Over time, extra areas might be mapped to the extent of element Waymo requires to function, together with exterior main cities.

For the “I am going to offer you my steering wheel whenever you pry it from my chilly, lifeless palms” crowd, Slotkin presents some reassurance:

There may be more likely to be some preliminary public trepidation. We don’t want everybody to make use of self-driving vehicles to appreciate profound security beneficial properties, nonetheless. If 30 % of vehicles have been totally automated, it’d forestall 40 % of crashes, as autonomous automobiles each keep away from inflicting crashes and reply higher when human drivers err.

In different phrases, not everybody has to go autonomous for society to profit from the rise of autonomous automobiles. Loads of individuals do not care about driving and can be completely satisfied to take an autonomous experience as if it have been a subway for public roads, leaving driving fans free to proceed having fun with the expertise behind the wheel. Slotkin factors out that insurance coverage premiums could change to favor autonomous automobiles. As soon as the mapping, know-how, and price attain the purpose of widespread adoption, he is in all probability proper. However so long as we nonetheless have the selection to drive our personal drive, that greater premium is a value that a few of us might be keen to pay.