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The fully autonomous ridesharing service, Waymo, is looking to add a new ridesharing option for Torontonians with self-driving vehicles. Waymo is a driverless taxi service where users can hail an autonomous vehicle via mobile phone, without a human driver in the front seat. In Toronto, the company expressed its plans to operate and apply for the Automated Vehicle Pilot Program to conduct vehicle testing.
The California-based tech company has trademarked the term “The World’s Most Experienced Driver”, asserting its stance on the improved safety of an automatic vehicle compared to those controlled by humans. In its operating cities, the company collected data on the safety of its cars and found that there are 92% fewer serious injuries or crashes involving Waymo vehicles compared to human drivers.
While Waymo prides itself on its safety record, there have been performance issues in its operating cities. For example, a San Francisco power outage caused all Waymo vehicles to halt in city streets and intersections, causing traffic congestion. On another occasion, Waymo temporarily removed freeway driving from Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco to monitor performance [of its vehicles] in construction zones.
Waymo’s possible entry into Toronto raises concerns about the technology’s ability to handle weather-related challenges, as snow and salt could affect the performance of the vehicle’s sensors. Additionally, concerns arise over the addition of more cars and their contribution to the city’s ongoing struggle with traffic congestion.
While Waymo’s future in Toronto is unclear, it is possible that autonomous vehicles are in the city’s future.
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