Mother Shares Why She Believes Waymo Can Save Lives
Street racing is an illegal activity when drivers compete to out-speed each other on public roads, but the crime can come at a fatal price. Lili Trujillo Puckett lost her 16-year-old daughter, Valentina, to a street racing crash in Los Angeles in 2014. The driver was a young man who had offered her a ride home.
Lili knew she had to do something about street racing – which has increased by 50% in LA over the past year. Soon after losing her daughter, she created the nonprofit Street Racing Kills (SRK) and made it her life’s mission to educate young drivers about its dangers and help save lives.
Lili Trujillo Puckett standing under the Rainbow Halo in Los Angeles, honoring her daughter, Valentina, and others who were killed in street races.
“Within five months, I was at my fourth school speaking to over 500 kids, and I haven't stopped ever since,” Lili said.
SRK offers school programs and community events to educate young drivers on everything from speeding and reckless driving to impaired driving and pedestrian safety.
As part of her work building partnerships with other road safety-focused organizations and technologies, Lili recently started exploring the safety benefits of autonomous driving.
After a recent Waymo ride in Los Angeles, Lili said, “Knowing that you don't have to worry about a human being making the decision to speed, to go fast, to engage into a street race, to drive under the influence, to be texting and driving. That's a secure feeling that I have and that I like.”
Lili and Lori enjoying a ride in a Waymo in Los Angeles
Lili believes Waymo’s autonomous driving technology, which is designed to obey traffic laws like speed limits and drive with the safety of all road users in mind, can be a part of building a future without preventable deaths from street racing.
“Waymo is not going to street race,” Lili said. “I see it as a life-saving vehicle.”
