When arriving at your destination and opening the door, how often do you stop to think who might be on the other side? According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, collisions with bicyclists when a vehicle’s door opens into moving traffic, or “dooring,” is the second most common collision that results in injury or fatality. To help prevent ‘dooring’ events, Waymo implemented new and more effective methods to help inform riders when other road users are nearby by employing the same sensing technology the Waymo Driver uses to navigate roadways autonomously.
Just as it’s important for our riders to know what’s happening around them, it’s also important that other road users understand what the Waymo Driver is doing. By displaying easy-to-interpret iconography on the lidar on top of our Waymo One cars, visualizing a rider entering or exiting a vehicle, we can better communicate to other road users that we are picking up or dropping off a rider, but more importantly, signaling that a door might open.
We look forward to introducing more features to create an even more comfortable and predictable experience for cyclists and other road users; but we can’t do this alone. The future of mobility requires diverse experiences and perspectives. So whether you’re keen to actively help us shape autonomous ride-hailing as a Waymo One rider or a professional eager to contribute to a more equitable mobility revolution, we want to hear from you!