Autonomous vehicles can help make our roads safer, more inclusive and sustainable: open letter
April 28, 2024
We are writing today to support the state's approval of Waymo's ride-hailing service in Los Angeles — which further affirms regulators’ recognition of Waymo as a safe and trustworthy mode of transit — and would like to share our perspective on why this is a significant development for the future of transportation in our communities.
In 2015, Los Angeles laid out its ten-year plan to eliminate traffic deaths, but the reality on the ground shows the city’s goal is far from being met. Traffic deaths have steadily climbed since the city’s plan was introduced, and last year, more Angelenos were killed from car crashes than from homicides. We’re going backwards, fast.
The organizations we represent believe the city should expand its vision of what safer streets should look like in order to build a transit system that is both safe and inclusive. We need to use every tool available to make our roads safer, and address gaps in the system that leave disabled and elderly community members behind. We believe that vision should include autonomous vehicles.
Autonomous vehicles don’t have our worst human-driving impulses—speeding and street racing, driving impaired, or texting behind the wheel. They’re carefully designed to follow the rules of the road. That’s not true of human drivers. Distracted, high-speed, and drunk driving are the primary causes of traffic deaths in Los Angeles and around the country. As LAPD Chief Michel Moore said recently, the increasing number of Angelenos killed by human drivers has a lot to do with distracted and high-speed driving — behaviors that autonomous vehicles are precisely designed not to do.
Evidence shows that autonomous vehicles can make our roads safer. Studies from Waymo, in particular, show the company’s vehicles are more capable of avoiding and mitigating serious and potentially-fatal crashes; are much less likely to cause property damage or bodily injury; and are up to six times less likely than humans to get in crashes that cause injuries.
Autonomous vehicles can also help build a more inclusive transportation system by making ride-hailing a safer experience for more people. We’ve heard from our members that riders with service animals don't have to worry about being denied service when ordering an AV. And people who identify as women or LGBTQ+ have also shared that they too feel safer in their own private space.
Autonomous vehicles can also help to fill transportation gaps that still exist in our communities. For those who are elderly or disabled, for example, Waymo’s AVs can be reserved at any time—they don’t have to be reserved 24 hours in advance of a trip like certain paratransit options. The company also provides on-demand accessibility services in LA using vehicles equipped with side ramps and securement systems through a third party partner, so that wheelchair users are able to conveniently get around the city. Waymo has already proven effective in enhancing the experience of paratransit-certified users; the company previously partnered with a regional transportation authority in Phoenix, finding that more paratransit-certified users engaged in out-of-home activities when they were able to access Waymo’s service. If it can work there, why not in LA, too?
Waymo also supports the city’s plan for a greener Los Angeles; its renewable energy-powered EV fleets can further Los Angeles' goal of reaching 25% share of zero emission vehicles by 2025. And by making roads safer, we make it easier for people to use other modes of sustainable transportation, like walking, biking, and public transit.
Autonomous vehicles won’t fix our road safety issues alone, but city leaders should leverage every tool available, including autonomous vehicles, to meaningfully move the needle. We urge city leadership to work with Waymo in good faith to make their vehicles a part of Los Angeles’ path to safer, more inclusive and sustainable streets.
List of signatories:
Best Buddies International, Katelyn Quintero, State Director, California
Blinded Veterans Association, Donald Overton, Legislative Director
Breathe Southern California, Marc Carrel, President and CEO
DTLA Proud, Oliver Alpuche, Founder
Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles, Rebekkah Halliwell, Executive Director
Integrated Community Collaborative, Fernando Gomez, Co-Founder
National Federation of the Blind of California, Robert Stigile, Vice President
Safe Kids Worldwide, Torine Creppy, President
Santa Monica Families for Safer Streets, Juan Matute, Co-Founder
She is Hope LA, Tisha Janigian, President and Founder
Street Racing Kills, Lili Trujillo Puckett, Founder
Streets Are For Everyone, Damian Kevitt, Executive Director
Students Against Destructive Decisions, Scott L. Myers, Executive Director
United Cerebral Palsy, Armando Contreras, President and CEO
Westwood Village Improvement Association, Executive Director, Michael Russell