19:14Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
Waymo and Zoox robotaxis have injured test drivers
The rapid expansion of robotaxi services has revealed a new safety problem. Some test drivers evaluating Waymo and Zoox autonomous vehicles on public roads have been injured when the vehicles braked suddenly and sharply. According to a TechCrunch investigation based on data submitted to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more than 20 test employees were injured by sudden braking and other abrupt maneuvers in Waymo and Zoox vehicles in 2024 and 2025. The injuries included muscle and ligament strains, sprains, neck injuries and other trauma. Because of their injuries, some employees had to remain off work for weeks or even months. Transdev, the company that hires and manages Waymo's test drivers, reported a total of 16 such injuries involving Waymo vehicles across three cities. At Zoox, up to 8 employee injuries related to hard braking were recorded. The figures involving Waymo increased as the company expanded its robotaxi operations. While 5 test drivers were reportedly injured in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix in 2024, that number rose to 11 in 2025. In most cases, the main cause was the vehicle braking suddenly and sharply. One of the most serious incidents occurred in Phoenix in September 2025. According to the report, the vehicle suddenly braked hard even though there was no obstacle in front of it, and the test employee was unable to work for 157 days because of the resulting injury.
In another incident in Los Angeles, a vehicle braked hard after detecting children playing in the road. As a result, the employee in the vehicle was injured and remained off work for 175 days. A similar problem has also been observed in Zoox's test vehicles. According to the company's test employees, sudden braking events known internally as a “brake jab” can occur several times during some test trips. The system sometimes brings the vehicle to an abrupt stop when it detects an obstacle in the road or mistakenly believes that one is present. One of the more dangerous situations is a complete system shutdown, known within Zoox as a “nogo.” In such a situation, the vehicle may suddenly brake while traveling at high speed, requiring the test driver to take control immediately. In January 2025, a Zoox test vehicle traveling in autonomous mode suddenly braked in San Francisco. The employee in the vehicle injured their shoulder and arm and had to work on restricted duty for 16 days. That same month, another driver suffered neck and shoulder injuries due to unexpected braking. Waymo emphasized that the safety of passengers, road users and employees is its top priority. According to the company, tens of millions of kilometers have been driven with human operators during the process of deploying fully autonomous vehicles, and data obtained from the tests is used to improve the service.
In another incident in Los Angeles, a vehicle braked hard after detecting children playing in the road. As a result, the employee in the vehicle was injured and remained off work for 175 days. A similar problem has also been observed in Zoox's test vehicles. According to the company's test employees, sudden braking events known internally as a “brake jab” can occur several times during some test trips. The system sometimes brings the vehicle to an abrupt stop when it detects an obstacle in the road or mistakenly believes that one is present. One of the more dangerous situations is a complete system shutdown, known within Zoox as a “nogo.” In such a situation, the vehicle may suddenly brake while traveling at high speed, requiring the test driver to take control immediately. In January 2025, a Zoox test vehicle traveling in autonomous mode suddenly braked in San Francisco. The employee in the vehicle injured their shoulder and arm and had to work on restricted duty for 16 days. That same month, another driver suffered neck and shoulder injuries due to unexpected braking. Waymo emphasized that the safety of passengers, road users and employees is its top priority. According to the company, tens of millions of kilometers have been driven with human operators during the process of deploying fully autonomous vehicles, and data obtained from the tests is used to improve the service.