Robotaxis in NYC could cause more deaths and serious injuries than for-hire-vehicles they’d replace, report projects

A study by Hunter College and Open Plans found that autonomous robotaxis in NYC could be 1.5 times more likely to cause traffic crashes with deaths or serious injuries per million miles driven compared to human for-hire drivers. The report challenges claims by AV companies like Waymo and Tesla that robotaxis would improve safety and reduce congestion, citing data comparisons between Waymo's operations and NYC for-hire vehicle statistics.