Why Not Waymo?
2026 07 16
As I was trying to watch a Veritasium episode on the Twin Prime Conjecture, last night, it keept getting interrupted by an Anti-WAYMO commercial. The commercial “asks” if self-driving taxis are being introduced to American cities “too fast?” No, I actually used one in SF some years ago and wish they were coming to DC a lot faster.
The commercial also informed us that WAYMO was under Federal instigation for one of its vehicles driving past a school bus (presumably one with its warnings property deployed). I understand that there is an alternative technology that can be used for piloting motor vehicles. Using it, a usually sober human being called a “driver” employs instruments within the vehicle to control its speed and direction. I know of an instance in which one of those “driver controlled” vehicles (I was the “driver”) drove past a school bus. There was no Federal investigation. Rather, the driver had to pay a fine. This seems like a good way to deal with the vehicles-passing-school-bus issue, not preventing the circulation of self-driving taxis.
What was surprising about the commercial was that it existed. Woah! This was not just some “I’z afeared o’ them new-fangled tegnolgy thangs!” Someone was spending real money. And, depressingly, they must think it has some chance of success.
Image: Horse and buggy being overtaken by a self-driving car [I do not know why Chat made this a drive on the left scene.]
[Standard bleg: Although my style is know-it-all-ism, I know that I can be mistaken and am prone to overstate my points. Also, there is an amazing range of views and experiences among readers. Bring those to bear by commenting on these posts. Both other readers and I will benefit.]
Neil-DeGrasse Tyson, our most famous science popularizer, shares your view. He even contends that self-driving vehicles would save thousands of lives, on net (computers aren't texting on social networks, holding hot coffee and burritos, can't have road rage, don't act like teen boys or elderly drivers. But as an economist, the efficiency benefits would be outrageous from a coordinated computer-linked system (no more stop and go, excess lane switching, no gawking at accidents); we're already doing that with GPS, automatic braking, cruise control, alert beeps, etc. Insane to require the undivided attention (or any attention) of 100M+ drivers (including service, delivery, sales people). In effect, it would create a parallel mass transit system to public transportation, each freeing travelers for leisure, work, or even rest.
A possible partial explanation for who would spend money advertizing against self drving vehicles
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2026/07/trial-lawyers-lobby-against-autonomous-vehicles.html