Waymo, an autonomous taxi operator, has recently entered Toronto’s lobbyist registry with the aim of advocating for new regulations that would pave the way for self-driving cars on the city’s streets. The company is actively engaging with officials in Canada to promote their technology and seek legal frameworks that would enable them to introduce their fully autonomous ride-hailing service in the country.
While discussions about Waymo operating in Toronto have not yet commenced, the company, a subsidiary of Alphabet based in Silicon Valley, currently operates its autonomous vehicles in several locations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, with plans to expand to London, UK. Despite its aggressive expansion in the US, the company’s swift move into Canada’s cold climate has raised eyebrows, according to Steven Waslander, director of the University of Toronto’s robotics and AI laboratory.
Operating Waymo vehicles in the Canadian winter presents unique challenges compared to the warmer climates where they initially launched. Adapting to the winter conditions involves addressing various issues that may arise, such as changes in driving behavior, slower speeds, cautious driving, and potential challenges like snow-related incidents.
Some residents of Toronto have already encountered automated vehicles (AVs) on the city’s roads, including self-driving delivery trucks tested by Magna International in select neighborhoods last summer. However, the tests faced difficulties, with issues such as the vehicles struggling to make right turns at red lights, experiencing frequent sudden stops, malfunctioning turn signals, and even requiring reboots in the midst of traffic.
While Waymo has also faced challenges, including a recent recall over vehicles passing stopped school buses and incidents such as driving through a police standoff in Los Angeles and running over a neighborhood cat in San Francisco, the company emphasizes that its vehicles have significantly fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians compared to human drivers. Waymo’s chief safety officer assured that the company is addressing the concerns behind the recall and continuously evaluating the performance of its vehicles.
The future of autonomous vehicles seems inevitable, with Waslander noting that public acceptance will depend on the vehicles’ performance transparency. If executed effectively and with transparency, the adoption of autonomous vehicles could potentially occur rapidly.
