Robotaxis from Waymo, Zoox and Tesla may reduce some types of crashes, but recent incidents and injuries show that autonomous driving remains imperfect. The article argues that passengers should use the services cautiously because the vehicles can behave unpredictably in unusual or rapidly changing situations.

Waymo reportedly had about 65% fewer crashes than human drivers, while its own data claims a 94% reduction in serious-injury collisions, though critics say more independent testing is needed. Reports describe test-driver injuries from sudden braking, recalls involving smoke, flooding and closed roads, Tesla accidents during its Austin rollout, and robotaxis stopping in traffic or blocking roads during software failures and power outages.