WAYMO ROBOTAXIS BACKSLIDING ON SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERS TELL NHTSA

First responders from both cities provided testimony to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expressing concerns about Waymo's autonomous vehicles. According to the leaked recordings, the robotaxis are "backsliding" in performance and increasingly violating traffic rules. One respondent stated: "I believe the technology was deployed too quickly in too vast amounts, with hundreds of vehicles, when it wasn't really ready." The complaints suggest Waymo's fleet has regressed rather than improved since initial deployment. Traffic violations include issues that appear to have worsened over time, raising questions about the company's development trajectory. Waymo has expanded robotaxi operations significantly in both cities, but the first responder feedback indicates potential safety and compliance issues that warrant regulatory attention. The NHTSA comments add to ongoing scrutiny of autonomous vehicle deployment timelines and readiness standards.