Waymo is reportedly ditching human safety drivers as it rolls out “completely driverless” cars in Arizona.
The Alphabet-owned business this week notified customers that their next ride may come without a trained operator up front, according to an email posted on Reddit.
TechCrunch confirmed with Waymo that the message was sent to early riders from the company’s Phoenix-based trial.
The program, dubbed Waymo One, currently operates a fleet of self-driving vehicles—available 24 hours a day, seven days a week—in several Metro Phoenix areas.
Users can simply download the application, then get started by confirming their pickup and drop-off locations. Accept by pressing the “Request Ride” button.
Up to three adults and one child can ride together.
Trained drivers have been supervising all Waymo One vehicles for users’ comfort and convenience. But the firm is ready to transition to fully driverless outings.
Waymo’s email spells out the autonomous experience:
“Completely driverless Waymo cars are on the way” (via Waymo/Reddit)
If matched with a self-driving vehicle, you’ll receive a notification confirming the car will not have a trained driver up front. Before panicking, read the app’s notes on “What to expect.” Then sit back and enjoy having the cab all to yourself.
“As always, if you need assistance during any part of your trip, you can contact a rider support agent through the car’s help button or in your app,” the memo said.
Presumably users can decline the driverless option, though that was not addressed in the leaked email.
Waymo did not immediately respond to Geek’s request for comment.
As the novelty of self-driving transportation has yet to wear off (and likely won’t for a while), most first-timers have a lot of questions and concerns about their autonomous commute.
In fact, a majority of Americans are still afraid to ride in fully self-driving cars.
A year after several reports of high-profile automated vehicle incidents, AAA found the nation’s attitude toward driverless transportation has not rebounded.
The organization’s annual survey, published in March, revealed that 71 percent of people prefer to have some control over the two-ton hunk of metal in which they’re traveling—versus 63 percent in 2017.
Most skeptics cite reasons such as lack of trust, not wanting to give up driving, unripe technology, and iffy road conditions.
But while 55 percent of people believe most cars will be able to steer themselves by 2029, experts agree that a fully automated fleet is still “decades away.”
More on Geek.com:
- Domino’s Brings Autonomous Pizza Delivery to Houston
- New Florida Law Nixes Need for Autonomous Vehicle Operators
- Researchers Teach Autonomous Cars to Predict Pedestrian Movement
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