Key facts
- Test drivers for Waymo and Zoox reported more than two dozen injuries in 2024 and 2025.
- Injuries resulted from hard braking, sudden swerving, or erratic vehicle behavior.
- Specific injuries include sprains, strains, whiplash, wrist fractures, and back pain.
- Some drivers were sidelined for weeks or months due to their injuries.
- Waymo's fleet grew to over 3,500 vehicles, with testing scaling significantly in 2025.
- Zoox reported injuries from incidents like 'nogo' system shutdowns and perceived debris.
The scaling of robotaxi services by companies like Waymo and Zoox has led to a rise in injuries among their test drivers, according to a review of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data. These drivers, responsible for testing autonomous vehicles on public roads, have suffered injuries such as sprains, strains, and whiplash due to sudden braking or erratic maneuvers by the vehicles. Transdev, which manages Waymo's test drivers, reported 16 injuries in 2024 and 2025, while Zoox reported up to eight injuries. Some incidents involved severe braking for no apparent reason or unexpected system shutdowns, leading to drivers being sidelined for extended periods. Waymo stated that safety is paramount and that millions of miles driven with human operators are part of their validation process. Zoox acknowledged that hard braking can be unavoidable and that reported injuries represent a small fraction of their total mileage, while also facing ongoing reports of braking issues from contractors.