Driving Safety: Who's Really Leading the Way?

The world of self-driving cars is heating up, and one big name is calling out others to step up their safety game. Takedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, recently shared her thoughts on the current state of autonomous vehicle (AV) safety. She made it clear that more companies need to open up about their safety data if they want to prove they're making roads safer. During a chat at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Mawakana was asked about companies working to improve road safety. Her response? She's not sure who's really making the cut because many aren't sharing their fleet data. This is a big deal because safety should be the top priority, especially when scaling up operations. Waymo has been pretty open about its safety stats. They've shared data showing their vehicles are five times safer than human drivers and 12 times safer when it comes to pedestrians. That's impressive, but not everyone is on board with sharing such details.Mawakana didn't name any specific companies, but there are only a few in the U. S. working on robotaxi tech. Tesla, for example, releases quarterly safety reports, but these focus on their Autopilot system, not their robotaxi program. Plus, their latest report shows an increase in crashes. Other companies like Zoox, May Mobility, and Pony AI are still in the early stages, and Aurora has published a safety framework but not much else. Mawakana's message is clear: if you're putting driverless cars on the road, you have a responsibility to be transparent. She believes that without sharing safety data, companies can't truly claim to be making roads safer. This debate highlights a bigger issue in the AV industry. As technology advances, the need for transparency and accountability becomes even more crucial. Consumers and regulators need to know that these vehicles are safe before they hit the roads in large numbers.