Self-driving car Waymo is the way to go!
Self-driving car Waymo is the way to go!
The Cars wrote their hit song “Drive” in 1984 and the lyric fans will always recite is “Who’s gonna drive you home, tonight?”. Never would I imagine closing out the year 2023, I would be riding in a self-driving car known as Waymo in the streets of San Francisco. Technology has advanced so rapidly in just the past decade and the rise of AI is always questionable, but there can be benefits by putting technology in good use. The autonomous vehicle company Waymo is an example of that and their mission is to “create a new way forward in mobility”. Seeing these Waymos on the news and driving around with other passengers or none at all on its own was impressive and almost unbelievable. While Waymo has been around since 2016 with plenty of self-driving cars in other markets (New York, Phoenix, Los Angeles), the idea and execution goes back to 2009. I decided to put Waymo to the test to see how safer it was compared to other rideshare companies. Here’s my video review which has been edited. Enjoy! For more info on Waymo follow the link. https://waymo.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zm7AXDoNkk
Overall, my Waymo rides felt comfortable and safe. It got me from point A to point B without any hiccups. It followed all the traffic laws and drove cautiously, being highly aware of its surroundings. Here are the pros and cons:
Pros- No awkwardness getting into a stranger’s car, no need to tip, you can freely be yourself inside, advanced features in the car like sensor detection for safety, and bragging rights to say you rode in a self-driving car
Cons- When you download the app you will be on a waitlist until you get a code to access Waymo, once you get approved getting a Waymo can take awhile to arrive, it’s pricier, for now it only drives in SF, and it needs updated alternative routes to avoid heavy traffic.
To end with another song reference “Cars” by Gary Numan- “Here in my car I feel safest of all. I can lock all my doors, it’s the only way to live in cars”. Waymo is the future for new transportation. Waymo is the way to go in 2024!
