Waymo will testify before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to defend its safety record after federal investigations into a crash that struck a child and incidents involving robotaxis near school buses. In written testimony, the company said its vehicles experienced "10 times fewer serious injury or worse crashes" than human drivers over comparable mileage and noted an independent audit of its safety work. Waymo urged Congress to pass legislation and warned U.S. leadership in autonomous vehicles faces stiff competition from Chinese firms in a market it calls a trillion-dollar strategic industry.
Waymo To Defend Safety Record Before Senate, Urges Lawmakers To Act As Chinese Competition Looms
FILE PHOTO: A Waymo Zeekr robotaxi model, developed with Chinese automaker Geely, is shown charging at a public charging station during testing before the driverless services begins its expansion in San Diego, California, U.S. November 19, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Waymo will appear before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday to defend its safety record after federal regulators opened investigations into separate incidents, including a vehicle that struck a child near an elementary school and several robotaxi encounters in which vehicles drove past school buses while they were loading or unloading.
What Waymo Tells Congress
In written testimony, the Alphabet unit said its self-driving vehicles "have been involved in 10 times fewer serious injury or worse crashes" than human drivers operating over comparable mileage and in similar conditions. Waymo also said its safety practices were recently reviewed in an independent audit.
Call For Legislation And A Strategic Warning
Waymo urged Congress to pass clear legislation to accelerate safe deployment of autonomous vehicles, arguing U.S. leadership is at risk. The company warned the United States is engaged in a global race with Chinese AV firms for control of a future market it described as a "trillion-dollar industry, comparable in strategic importance to flight and space travel."
Waymo (written testimony): "U.S. leadership in the autonomous vehicle sector is now under direct threat."
The hearing will give senators a chance to press Waymo on safety measures, oversight and whether new federal rules are needed as the industry scales. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington)
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