Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s expansion of autonomous taxi service into communities south of San Francisco and in Los Angeles. Notably, the list of supporters included many organizations committed to enhancing safety for people who walk and bike, as well as disability advocates. That tells me they understand that robot drivers are much safer than human drivers.

In opposition were a number of city and county leaders in the expansion zones. That tells me that Waymo and its supporters need to do a lot more outreach with local government leaders to explain how their technology interacts with existing municipal services, from waste haulers to fire safety vehicles.

I spoke to KTVU news about the decision and its basis in California law:

Ultimately this expansion signals that a driverless future is already here and growing, with companies like Waymo believing that there’s a profit to be made from it. And despite some high-profile malfunctions, this future promises to be a safer one than the status quo.