One of the most iconic car chase scenes in movie history takes place in the 1968 film Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen as Francisco Police Lieutenant Frank Bullitt. McQueen drives a Mustang GT pursued by a Dodge Charger during a riveting car chase through the hilly, treacherous streets of San Francisco.
The streets are so steep that the cars whizzing downhill launch into the air and bounce hard and bottom out at intersections. It’s thrilling to watch. The streets are crazy steep, offering poor visibility in places. So naturally, the robotaxi company Waymo (Google) chose San Francisco as one of its early markets to offer driverless taxi service.
I hadn’t expected to see so many Waymo robotaxis on the streets. You can’t miss them. They’re four-door white Jaguars outfitted with an array of gyroscopes and sensors—and as the vehicle went past me on the street I stopped and gaped every time because there’s no one sitting in the driver’s seat.
Naturally, we had to check out one of these driverless taxis. You download an app to summon a taxi just as you would an Uber or Lyft. When the taxi arrives you press a button in the app to unlock the car door, and settle in the backseat.
We get in and are reminded to buckle up. Pleasant music is playing but you can change the music if you want to hear something else. We set out for the eighteen-minute trip from the restaurant back to our Airbnb.
There’s a screen that shows us what the cameras and censors are seeing, and it detects every car, obstacle, pedestrian, bicycle rider, street sign, and traffic signal. Our invisible chauffeur is an outstanding driver—smooth acceleration, braking, and turning; compliance with all rules of the road; expertly navigating traffic conditions. At any point during the trip, we can press a button that would direct the car to pull over and stop.
Right on time, we arrive at our destination without incident, not that I expected any adverse event. I enjoyed the experience and am now a fan of the robotaxi.
But is a robotaxi service eliminating jobs for drivers? Probably—automation always does. It must also be creating other jobs for development, production, and testing teams.
Is Waymo safe? Safer than human drivers it turns out. Statistics show that Waymos are involved in fewer traffic incidents and accidents than human drivers. Robotaxis don’t have emotions. They don’t speed or run red lights or try to use their phones while driving. They don’t experience road rage or cut other drivers off. They effectively follow the rules of the road so it makes sense that they’re safer. Okay, so maybe they wouldn’t make for exciting car chases through the hilly San Francisco streets.
Waymos might be safer in other ways too. I know a young woman who takes a Waymo ride if she’s out late and traveling home alone. She doesn’t have to worry about the person behind the wheel, about the possibility of being assaulted or abused by the driver.
The next morning, we take an Uber to the airport. Some drivers are sullen and gruff, although ours is chatty and pleasant. You don’t get that human variability with a Waymo. But there is one moment when our driver accelerates hard to get in front of another car and complains about other drivers and their habits. I can see those emotions; they can get the best of even the most reasonable driver, but not the invisible driver.
Waymo currently operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. It’s only a matter of time before a robotaxi is available in your town, whatever town that might be.
