Summary Reader Response Draft 4
Waymo's self-driving cars are an example of how cutting-edge technology and
strict safety standards can work together to change the way people get around
cities by making transportation safer, enhancing its inclusivity, and offering
mobility options to individuals who cannot operate a car on their own.
Waymo's autonomous car technology offers a significant advantage in terms of
enhanced safety. Waymo firmly believes that completely autonomous driving
technology has the potential to revolutionize the functioning of our roadways
and significantly reduce the number of lives lost in annual accidents.
According to Waymo, its safety strategy is shaped by a team of NASA engineers,
NHTSA safety experts, and professionals from the defence and automotive
sectors, among others. An article says that across the full expanse of over 7
million miles, Waymo’s cars were only implicated in three accidents that led to
injuries: two in Phoenix and one in San Francisco (Hawkins, 2023). Waymo
engineers thoroughly examine and rigorously test at every stage to guarantee
optimal performance and dependability. For example, Waymo's vision system,
which consists of cameras, undergoes more than 100 distinct tests in its laboratories
before a car equipped with this technology is allowed to leave the premises
(Waymo, n.d.).
Waymo also aims to enhance its inclusivity and offer mobility options to
individuals who are unable to operate vehicles independently such as those who
have physical, visual, cognitive, and sensory impairments regardless of age.
According to Waymo, within the United States, there exists a population of 3
million individuals aged 40 and beyond who have either complete blindness or
impaired eyesight. Furthermore, 79% of seniors 65 and older reside in neighborhoods
where cars are a necessity (Waymo, n.d.). In order to fully unlock the
capabilities of autonomous cars, it is imperative that these vehicles are made
accessible and user-friendly for individuals across the whole range of
disabilities Waymo has formed partnerships with 13 members of disability
advocacy organizations, which include both national advocates and local groups
that serve the locations where Waymo One operates. Waymo is actively engaging
with the disability community and advocates for elders to gain insights into
the distinct requirements of various passengers. These discussions are
contributing to the development of Waymo's distinct functionalities (Waymo,
n.d.).
However, expanding Waymo driverless cars to other cities or countries comes
with a series of challenges. According to Waymo, to generate a map for a new
area, their team begins the process by physically operating their cars
outfitted with sensors along every street. This allows their specialized lidar
technology to capture a 3D representation of the new surroundings. This must be
done many times to have accurate data. While mapping through new places, Waymo
found that although the process of producing tailored maps is the same for all
geographies, each area possesses its distinct characteristics. In order to
ensure compliance with local driving regulations, Waymo collaborates closely
with local authorities and traffic engineers, acquiring extensive knowledge of
the specific traffic laws in each location (Waymo, 2020a).
Waymo's commitment to ensuring safety and promoting equality highlights its
significant impact on the transportation industry. Using cutting-edge
technology to significantly improve road safety by reducing risks related to
human fatigue, distraction, and impairment, Waymo paves the way for a future
where autonomous driving enhances safety and accessibility for all.
Reference:
How Autonomous Vehicles Work | Let’s Talk Autonomous
Driving. (n.d.).
https://waymo.community/about/how-autonomous-vehicles-work.html#:~:text=Waymo%20is%20building%20a%20driver,stay%20passengers%20the%20entire%20trip
Say hello to Waymo: what’s next for Google’s self-driving
car project. (n.d.). Waymo.
https://waymo.com/blog/2016/12/say-hello-to-waymo-whats-next-for/?hl=zh_TW
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are significantly safer than
human-driven ones, says new research led by Swiss Re. (n.d.). Waymo.
https://waymo.com/blog/2023/09/waymos-autonomous-vehicles-are-significantly-safer-than-human-driven-ones/
Hawkins, A. J. (2022, September 29). Waymo pitted its
autonomous vehicles against a virtual superhuman driver to see which was safer.
The Verge.
https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/29/23377219/waymo-av-safety-study-response-time-crash-avoidance
SAE levels of automation in cars simply explained (+Image)
- Rambus. (2022, June 10). Rambus.
https://www.rambus.com/blogs/driving-automation-levels/
Janouch, S. (2020, December 15). What are all these
automotive cameras doing? Videantis - Processors for Deep Learning,
Computer Vision and Video Coding.
https://www.videantis.com/what-are-all-these-automotive-cameras-doing.html
Safety | Let’s Talk Autonomous Driving. (n.d.).
https://waymo.community/about/safety.html
Hawkins, A. J. (2023, December 20). Waymo has 7.1
million driverless miles — how does its driving compare to humans? The
Verge.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/20/24006712/waymo-driverless-million-mile-safety-compare-human
Mobility and Accessibility | Let’s Talk Autonomous Driving.
(n.d.). https://waymo.community/about/mobility-and-accessibility.html
Launching the Waymo Accessibility Network. (n.d.). Waymo.
https://waymo.com/blog/2022/10/launching-waymo-accessibility-network/#:~:text=The%20Waymo%20Accessibility%20Network%20brings,visual%2C%20cognitive%20and%20sensory%20disabilities.
The Waymo Driver Handbook: How our highly-detailed maps
help unlock new locations for autonomous driving. (2020a). Waymo.
https://waymo.com/blog/2020/09/the-waymo-driver-handbook-mapping/
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