Waymo, Zoox Vehicles Still Causing Injuries to Test Drivers: Report

With the increasing prevalence of autonomous vehicles on the streets of several global cities, It’s sometimes easy to forget how humans still factor into their operation. Test drivers operating AVs before they’re ready to go driverless are hugely important, and a concerning report shows a consistent trend of injuries to humans in Waymo and Zoox test vehicles. Occupational Safety and Health Administration data shows upwards of 20 injuries reported by Alphabet’s Waymo and Amazon-owned Zoox, according to a report from TechCrunch. Many of the injuries reported to OSHA involved hard braking or quick directional changes on the street and, in the case of Waymo, in service depot locations. Reported injuries include sprains, back pain, and whiplash. TechCrunch said that injuries have risen significantly as AV companies, Waymo in particular, have made big pushes for service in new cities and subsequently have racked up more test miles. Incidents reported to OSHA were also highest in test vehicles in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, some of the largest markets right now for all AVs. And the test vehicles were not necessarily the purpose-built Zoox Robotaxi or Waymo Jaguar I-Pace or eve