Waymo Driverless Car Drives Into Active Police Standoff
The Spin
Techno-optimist narrative
While autonomous Waymo vehicles, like any car or driver, aren't perfect, occasional incidents like this shouldn't distract from how phenomenal these cars have become. With 96 million miles logged and 91% fewer serious-injury crashes than humans, most reported collisions weren't the vehicles' fault. The data shows Waymo's tech is already dramatically safer than typical drivers.
Techno-skeptic narrative
Even if Waymo is safer on paper, expanding "self-driving" tech without strict oversight ignores a bigger threat — cars are becoming rolling surveillance devices. Automakers already share location and behavior data without consent, and vulnerable people can be tracked or harmed. Until privacy, regulation, and misuse risks are addressed, celebrating autonomous vehicles is premature.