Waymo Launches Driverless Taxis in Miami, 6th US City

Waymo's self-driving cars are now picking up passengers in Miami, one of America's most chaotic driving cities, without anyone behind the wheel.

The ride-hailing service launched today across a 60-square-mile area covering downtown Miami, Little Havana, Coral Gables, and stretching to West and South Miami. About 10,000 residents have already joined the waitlist to try the service through Waymo's app.

Miami marks Waymo's sixth US city, joining Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin. The company operates hundreds of square miles of service area across these cities, with plans to expand to 11 more locations soon, including London and Tokyo.

What makes this newsworthy is the setting. Miami ranks among the slowest, most congested, and deadliest driving cities in America. If self-driving cars can handle Miami traffic, they can likely handle most places.

The technology represents a major safety breakthrough. Waymo claims its driverless taxis result in a ten-fold reduction in serious injuries compared to human drivers, backed by peer-reviewed studies based on public data.

The Ripple Effect

This expansion signals a turning point for autonomous vehicles moving from novelty to normalcy. Six cities might not sound like many, but these aren't test runs with nervous engineers in the passenger seat. These are real taxis operating without any human safety driver, carrying regular passengers through dense urban traffic.

The technology uses advanced sensors including LiDAR to navigate complex road situations that challenge even experienced human drivers. Each new city helps the system learn and improve, making future expansions faster and safer.

Other cities are watching closely. Waymo is already collecting driving experience in 12 additional locations, studying traffic patterns and road conditions to prepare for future launches.

For residents in these cities, the promise is simple: safer roads, fewer traffic deaths, and transportation options for people who can't drive. As autonomous vehicles prove themselves in challenging environments like Miami, more cities will likely welcome them, creating a ripple of safer streets across the country.