Waymo Faces Senate Scrutiny Over Robotaxi Safety

Waymo, an Alphabet-unit, is set to defend its safety record before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on February 3, 2026. This comes after federal agencies initiated investigations into incidents involving Waymo's robotaxis, including one where a vehicle struck a child near an elementary school and others where vehicles passed by stopped school buses.

In prepared testimony, Waymo's Chief Safety Officer stated that its self-driving vehicles have a considerably better safety record than human drivers over equivalent mileage. The company is also undergoing an independent safety audit. Waymo advocates for federal legislation to foster the growth of autonomous vehicles, emphasizing the critical global race for leadership in this burgeoning trillion-dollar sector.

Similarly, Tesla's vehicle engineering vice president stressed the need for modernized regulations to encourage innovation in the autonomous vehicle industry. Both companies warn that a failure to lead in AV development could allow other nations, notably China, to shape the future of this technology and its global market.

NHTSA has previously opened investigations into Tesla vehicles equipped with its FSD system due to numerous reports of safety violations and crashes. Tesla's FSD (Supervised) system has demonstrated a lower rate of major and minor collisions compared to U.S. averages, according to company data. Congress continues to deliberate on legislation aimed at streamlining the deployment of autonomous vehicles.