Safer Roads for All

Don’t let politics block progress. Autonomous vehicles can bring safer roads, cleaner air, and accessible transportation for all.

[Safer Roads for All @saferroadsorg]

.@Waymo and @Cruise will soon be available to everyone in San Francisco. Thank you to @californiapuc for your confidence in the ability for AVs to continue to advance and improve the safety and sustainability of California's roads.

[Andy Masley @AndyMasley]

There's a new and very stupid talking point being brought out by the anti-AV people. Polling people in cities that don't have AVs about safety, and then saying "The average person has questions about the so-called safety of these cars." The average person hasn't seen the data.

[Brian McGuigan @bricaul]

The problem AV opponents will have with this talking point is that there will be more polls to come that show skepticism moves to support as soon as people share the road with AVs.

[Dr. Jon Slotkin @slotkinjr]

I have a guest essay in @nytimes today about autonomous vehicle safety. I wrote it because I’m tired of seeing children die. Done right, we can eliminate car crashes as a leading cause of death in the United States

@Waymo recently released data covering nearly 100 million driverless miles. I spent weeks analyzing it because the results seemed too good to be true. 91% fewer serious-injury crashes. 92% less pedestrians hit. 96% fewer injury crashes at intersections. The list goes on.

39,000 Americans died in crashes last year. More than homicide, plane crashes, and natural disasters combined. The #2 killer of children and young adults. The #1 cause of spinal cord injury. We’ve accepted this as the price of mobility.

We don’t have to.

In medicine, when a treatment shows this level of benefit, we stop the trial early. Continuing to give patients the placebo becomes unethical. When an intervention works this clearly, you change what you do.

In driving, we’re all the control group.

Cities like DC and Boston are blocking deployment. And cities are not the only forces mobilizing to slow this progress.

It’s time we stop treating this like a tech moonshot and start treating it like a public health intervention that will save lives.

Link to article below.

👀 this video of Waymo cars evading crashes with people and vehicles. I especially note the ones that require it having a 360° view.

My sincere thanks to Alex Ellerbeck and @acsifferlin for their wisdom and sure hand in editing this piece.

[Brian McGuigan @bricaul]

"If @Waymo’s results are indicative of the broader future of autonomous vehicles, we may be on the path to eliminating traffic deaths as a leading cause of mortality in the United States." https://t.co/ap3lCWVcYi

[Safer Roads for All @saferroadsorg]

In the past two weeks, two major airports have opened up to Waymo: SJC and now SFO. Well done to the policymakers who are making this happen including @DanielLurie and @MattMahanSJ.

[Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉 @DanielLurie]

Waymo is coming to SFO! The airport has approved a pilot permit to begin autonomous rides. This rollout will happen in phases—and we’ll keep you updated every step of the way until anyone can request a @Waymo ride right from @flySFO.

[Mike Solana @micsolana]

hope i’m not speaking too soon but it seems like the haters and losers just completely lost the fight against self-driving cars in san francisco. total waymo victory. waymo nationalism ascendant.

[James Hohmann @jameshohmann]

New editorial: Boston politicians fight the future by slow-rolling Waymos. https://t.co/KfEher3vAF

[Brianna January @Brianna_January]

This, quite literally, defeats the purpose of AUTONOMOUS vehicles, and is disingenuous.

Looks like we’ll be knocking on some doors in Massachusetts.

[Adam Kovacevich @adamkovac]

Massachusetts has a choice: support a technology that demonstrably saves lives, or isolate itself at the Teamsters' behest

[Brian McGuigan @bricaul]

Massachusetts Teamsters have filed a ballot initiative that would require all autonomous vehicles to have a human driver. @christianbrits @binarybits https://t.co/bLwRAnXI6u

[Brian McGuigan @bricaul]

In California, there will soon be a bill on the governor’s desk that bans AVs from delivering *things* because of “safety” while allowing AVs to continue to move *people.* https://t.co/dR7DbeUpv1

[Alec Stapp @AlecStapp]

We should be much more explicit about the tradeoff here:

The Teamsters are demanding that we let thousands of people die in car crashes in order to protect their jobs.

[Erik Brynjolfsson @erikbryn]

How many lives will be lost over the next five years by cities banning or slowing the rollout of @Waymo and other automated vehicles?

[Christian Britschgi @christianbrits]

One has to admire Boston unions for largely not even bothering to come up with public-spirited justifications for trying to hamstring driverless car services. They're explicit about their protectionism. https://t.co/izGgVDv06B

[Connor O’Brien @cojobrien]

Tell us, oh wise advisory board, how many thousands of traffic deaths we should tolerate this year.

[Patrick Hedger @pat_hedger]

Shameful stuff.

[Gary Winslett 🌐🇺🇸 @GaryWinslett]

AVs are one of the great new technologies! They're safer than humans. Consumers love them. And some in Boston want to do regulatory sabotage at the behest of special interests. Unbelievable Luddism.

Make no mistake about it- people will die as a result if this bill passes.

[Christian Britschgi @christianbrits]

And now! Boston city council members introduce a bill to require drivers in Waymos and create an AV advisory board stacked with unions.

[Brian McGuigan @bricaul]

And like that: Boston City Council is set to vote on a resolution to ban AVs until a board of city officials and labor reps decides if they should be allowed at all. Even if approved, safety drivers would still be required.
https://t.co/vLxNQUUyC9.

[Ian Banks @banksianr]

Help reduce drunk driving deaths in DC, sign this petition:

https://t.co/i2LSGKJZIk

@theHillisHome @BarredinDC @PoPville