How you can track driverless car incidents in Austin amid new safety concerns

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Waymo driverless car passenger made headlines across the country after getting trapped in an out-of-control car on a trip to an airport.

Mike Johns filmed himself in the back of his Waymo taxi as the vehicle malfunctioned in Scottsdale, Arizona last week.

"It was just going in circles," Johns told KXAN's sister station, KTLA in Los Angeles. "Like around the fifth, sixth time, that feeling was very uncomfortable...you're strapped in, you can't open the door."

A Waymo support employee did call into the vehicle to help. Still, the situation has raised safety concerns, including in Austin.

Waymo plans to start offering more driverless rides to the general public, in partnership with Uber, in Austin this year. However, it hasn't solidified a date for that.

Since March 2024, Waymo has been operating 24/7 across 37 square miles in Austin in the Hyde Park, downtown Austin and Montopolis neighborhoods, according to its website.

Waymo told KXAN it has thousands of rides weekly in this area alone. Those rides are being offered to its employees and thousands of people from the general public who put themselves on the company's interest list, according to Waymo.

The City of Austin's Transportation and Public Works Department has been tracking all autonomous vehicle incidents (AV) for the past two years. The dashboard shows in 2023 and 2024, there were 20 Waymo incidents. Most involved safety concerns. Still, that's less than 30 percent of all AV incidents reported. 

"Although cities in Texas cannot regulate AVs, Austin has worked with autonomous vehicle companies as they enter the market to offer staff's knowledge on the local transportation network to help AVs operate more safely," a Public Information Specialist with Austin's Transportation and Public Works Department said.

Waymo says what happened to Johns is rare. However, it said if something similar happens to you, you can press the pullover button in the car, or contact Waymo support from in-car screens or the app.

Waymo also tracks and posts its safety data. It says its rides are involved in 78% fewer injury-causing crashes compared to an average human driver.