Summary
Waymo, a company that makes self-driving cars, is expanding its services across the U.S., including in San Francisco and other cities. This expansion has raised safety concerns, especially after incidents involving pets, and has sparked competition from other companies like Amazon's Zoox. Local officials are discussing increasing oversight of these vehicles.
Key Facts
- Waymo is a self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent, Alphabet.
- Waymo has expanded its services to several U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Dallas, and Miami.
- There have been safety concerns after incidents where Waymo cars reportedly hit a cat and a dog.
- Amazon's Zoox, another self-driving vehicle company, is also running services in San Francisco.
- Local officials, like California State Senator Dave Cortese, want more city-level oversight of autonomous vehicles.
- Currently, the California Public Utilities Commission and DMV regulate these vehicles.
- Waymo claims its vehicles have fewer accidents compared to human-driven cars.
- A petition is circulating to increase local authority over self-driving cars.
