Are Waymos Driving More Like Humans?

Waymo's self-driving cars in San Francisco are reportedly exhibiting more assertive driving behaviors, prompting an investigation into whether the company intentionally altered their programming. Anecdotal evidence suggests Waymos are now making lane changes in tunnels, being less patient with pedestrians, and possibly performing "California stops," contrasting with their earlier reputation for excessive caution. Waymo confirmed they have been tweaking the cars to be more "confidently assertive" to prevent disruptions to traffic flow in the busy city. Despite these changes, Waymo maintains its cars are safe, citing data showing a significantly lower crash rate compared to human drivers, though incidents of Waymos being pulled over for traffic violations raise questions about accountability and the evolving nature of robot driving.