Three separate developments this month have intensified scrutiny of Waymo’s robotaxi fleet even as the company pushes to expand into new cities, including New York and attorney Amy Witherite, founding attorney of Witherite Law Group and a national voice on autonomous vehicle accountability, says the mounting evidence confirms what she has been warning about for months.
“I no longer feel like a lone voice in expressing these concerns,” said Witherite. “An independent academic study, a big-city mayor who once championed this technology, and now federal safety regulators are all saying the same thing I’ve been saying: these vehicles are not ready, and the public is paying the price.”
New Study Finds No Safety Advantage Over Professional Drivers
A new report from the Sam Schwartz Transportation Research Program at Hunter College’s Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute and Open Plans compared Waymo’s nationwide safety data to New York City’s for-hire vehicle fleet of taxis and rideshare drivers. The study found Waymo vehicles nationwide are involved in serious-injury-or-fatality crashes at 1.5 times the rate of New York City’s professional for-hire drivers — and more than three times that rate in the San Francisco Bay Area. Researchers concluded Waymo has not yet driven enough miles to demonstrate it is safer than the professional drivers it aims to replace, and found that robotaxis would add, not reduce, vehicle miles traveled and congestion if deployed in New York. Read the report.
San Francisco’s Own Mayor Demands Tougher State Oversight
On July 16, 2026, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie previously a public supporter of AV technology sent a letter to California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin urging new statewide regulatory standards for autonomous vehicles during major events and emergencies. The letter cites a December 2025 power outage that stalled Waymo vehicles nearly 1,600 times, and the July 4, 2026 fireworks gridlock in which dozens of Waymo vehicles became immobilized in travel lanes, blocked Muni shuttles, and had to be towed. Read TechCrunch’s coverage.
Federal Regulators Set a Deadline Over First Responder Interference
On July 8, 2026, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to autonomous vehicle developers citing a “clear pattern” of driverless AVs interfering with law enforcement and other first responders including driving into active emergency scenes and blocking ambulances and fire trucks. NHTSA has demanded companies present solutions by the end of this month and will schedule meetings with AV developers to press for fixes. Read TechCrunch’s coverage.
A Turning Point in the National Conversation
Together, the three developments an independent academic safety analysis, a formerly pro-AV big-city mayor now on record citing public-safety risk, and a federal regulator setting an enforcement deadline mark a significant shift in the scrutiny facing robotaxi operators nationwide, even as companies like Waymo continue pushing for expansion into new markets, including New York, where a robotaxi bill remains under consideration.
“For a long time, it felt like these concerns were being dismissed by the industry as the objections a handful of critics,” Witherite said. “That’s no longer the case. When researchers, a sitting mayor, and federal regulators all reach the same conclusion in the same month, it stops being a fringe argument and starts being a consensus. Regulators and legislators owe it to the public to act on that consensus before allowing further expansion.”
About Witherite Law Group
Witherite Law Group is a Dallas-based personal injury firm focused on traffic safety, trucking accidents, and emerging transportation technology. Founding attorney Amy Witherite is a recognized advocate for victims of negligence on Texas roads and highways. Amy Witherite, founding attorney of Witherite Law Group, is available to speak to the pattern of AV safety incidents nationally, the implications of the new NYC study, and what regulators and legislators should require before allowing further robotaxi expansion.
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