Waymo Says Its Self-Driving Taxis Are Safe Around First Responder VehiclesWaymo Says Its Self-Driving Taxis Are Safe Around First Responder Vehicles

Waymo has had its self-driving taxis’ behavior around first responder vehicles assessed and validated by an independent expert.

A report by TÜV SÜD – the German organization recognized globally for its testing and certification of roadworthy vehicles – confirms the company’s Responder Program meets industry standards for emergency response protocols.

The initiative is the latest by Waymo to highlight the safety credentials of its driverless cabs – and arguably an important one, given the difficulties that cars with automated tech, notably Teslas, have encountered with emergency vehicles. Indeed, Waymo vehicles themselves have attracted the ire of the San Francisco Fire Department previously.

When operating in urban environments, self-driving taxis will inevitably come into contact with emergency vehicles. In recognition of this, in 2018 Waymo created its First Responder Guide, following extensive consultation with public safety officials.

In the intervening years, Waymo says it has continued to evolve the guide, claiming that its team of specialists has trained more than 15,000 first responders – including police, fire and medical personnel – from more than 75 agencies regarding what to expect when interacting with its autonomous vehicles (AVs).

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Among key attributes Waymo’s AVs were found to have by TÜV SÜD were the ability to identify emergency vehicles; an understanding of how to respond to hand signals by traffic police; and the capacity to be disabled remotely if something goes wrong.

As such, TÜV SÜD says that Waymo’s program is in line with industry standards, as detailed in the best practice guidelines set out in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). 

The validation – the first of its type by an independent third party – was welcomed by Waymo’s Francesca Favarò, who said: “Waymo has spent years informing industry best practices and integrating them into the policies and procedures that guide the deployment of our technology. [The] First Responder Program is a fundamental part of Waymo’s approach to safety as we expand our ridership.”

The company says it is currently providing more than 150,000 trips per week to riders in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin, and recently announced it would be expanding to Miami in 2025.

Waymo has been increasingly aggressive in pushing its safety credentials over the past year or so, having seen how one-time rival Cruise’s mishandling of just one crash can have a disastrous impact on operations. General Motors recently pulled the plug on Cruise’s funding, having racked up massive losses that showed no sign of abating following a year of negative publicity.

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To try to reassure the public, in December 2023, Waymo published data that it claimed showed how its self-driving taxis are safer than human-driven ones. And in September it revealed how it had created a new, online data hub that provides “an unprecedented level of transparency within the autonomous driving industry.”