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Waymo defends safety record amid federal investigations

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Waymo urges Congress to advance self-driving legislation

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Tesla warns of China's potential dominance in AV

technology

(Adds more details, Tesla testimony, background in paragraphs

3-8; adds photos)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Self-driving company Waymo

on Wednesday will defend its safety record before the U.S.

Senate Commerce Committee after federal agencies opened

investigations into a ‌vehicle striking a child near an

elementary school and incidents involving robotaxis driving past

were loading or unloading parked school buses.

Waymo Chief Safety Officer ​Mauricio Pena said in written

testimony obtained by Reuters for Wednesday's hearing that its

self-driving vehicles have "been ‍involved in 10 times fewer

serious injury or worse crashes" compared to ⁠human drivers

covering the same ⁠mileage in the same conditions and said its

safety efforts were recently the subject of an independent

audit.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ‌and National

Transportation Safety Board have both opened safety ​probes into

Waymo.

Waymo, an Alphabet-unit, also called on Congress

to pass legislation to advance self-driving vehicles, arguing

U.S. leadership "in the autonomous vehicle sector is now under

direct threat. The United States ⁠is locked in a global race with

Chinese ‍AV companies for ​the future of autonomous driving, a

trillion-dollar industry comparable in strategic importance to

flight and space travel."

Tesla vehicle engineering vice president Lars

Moravy said in separate testimony, Congress must modernize

regulations that ‍inhibit industry's ability to innovate.

"If the U.S. does not lead in AV development, other

nations-particularly China-will shape the technology, standards,

and global market," Moravy's written testimony says. "And

perhaps more importantly, China will be the dominant

manufacturer of transportation for the 21st Century."

In October, NHTSA opened an investigation into 2.9 million Tesla

vehicles equipped with its FSD system due to the dozens of

reports of traffic-safety violations and crashes. Tesla ​says FSD

"will ‍drive you almost anywhere with your active supervision,

requiring minimal intervention" but does not make the car

self-driving. In October 2024, NHTSA opened an investigation

into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles with ​FSD after four

collisions in conditions of reduced roadway visibility.

Moravy said in his testimony "Tesla vehicles with FSD

(Supervised) engaged drive on average 5.1 million miles before a

major collision and 1.5 million miles before a minor collision.

This is compared to U.S. averages of 699,000 miles and 229,000

miles, respectively."

Congress is considering legislation that aims to make it

easier to deploy autonomous vehicles without human controls. As

robotaxi testing has expanded, Congress has been divided for

years about whether ​to pass legislation to address deployment

hurdles.

Waymo is operating robotaxi trips in Phoenix, the San

Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, and Miami and

completed 200 million fully autonomous miles on public roads and

providing 400,000 weekly rides. Last month, Tesla started

Robotaxi ‍rides in Austin without safety monitors in the car.