Robotaxis are spreading across America, but some test drivers are getting hurt

Waymo and Zoox drivers suffered injuries

Waymo and Zoox test drivers suffered more than 2 dozen injuries in 2024 and 2025 while testing autonomous vehicles on public roads. Hard braking, sudden swerving, and other unexpected vehicle movements were linked to cases in several U.S. cities.

Transdev, which manages Waymo test drivers, reported 16 injuries across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Zoox reported as many as 8 worker injuries, 7 of which involved hard braking, brake jabs, or system shutdowns.

Waymo injuries rose sharply in 2025

Injuries involving Waymo test drivers increased from 5 cases in 2024 to 11 cases in 2025 across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Hard braking caused nearly all of the 2025 injuries recorded in those 3 markets.

The 2024 cases included 1 injury tied to hard braking and 4 linked to other erratic vehicle behavior. Waymo said human operators have driven tens of millions of miles as part of its testing and validation process.

Some Waymo workers missed months

Some Waymo test drivers spent months away from work after sudden vehicle movements during autonomous testing caused injuries. A Phoenix test driver missed 157 days after a September 2025 braking event that occurred without an apparent obstruction.

Another worker in Los Angeles missed 175 days after a Waymo vehicle braked hard when children were playing in its pathway in August 2025. A separate worker spent more than 2 months away after a parking maneuver injured the worker’s hand and wrist.

Zoox logged 8 worker injuries

Zoox reported 8 worker injuries in 2025 linked to testing its autonomous driving system in modified Toyota Highlander SUVs. Seven of the 8 cases involved hard braking, brake jabs, or shutdown events known internally as nogos.

One incident in San Francisco in January 2025 left a contractor on restricted duty for 16 days after an abrupt stop. Later that month, another worker returned without restrictions after 8 days following an unexpected stop that injured the neck and shoulder.

Brake jabs can happen repeatedly

Zoox contractors said that abrupt braking events can occur multiple times during a single test drive, sometimes at the same location. Workers said the events can occur at any speed and can be harsher when the vehicle is moving faster.

The braking often happens when the autonomous system detects, or mistakenly detects, debris on the road. Contractors said modified Toyota Highlander test vehicles were still experiencing abrupt braking as recently as July 2026, and 3 workers said injuries were still occurring.

A nogo can trigger sudden braking

Zoox workers use the term “nogo” to refer to a full system shutdown that can lead to a sudden braking event during autonomous testing. One contractor said a nogo could occur while a vehicle is traveling 45 mph and require the driver to take control quickly.

Zoox injury cases repeatedly involved nogos, brake jabs, or harsh braking. The company said some hard braking incidents are unavoidable and that the reported injuries represented a small share of the millions of miles driven by its test fleet.

An instructor was hurt in San Francisco

A Zoox instructor was injured on June 3, 2025, when the test vehicle’s software braked harshly during a drive in San Francisco. The instructor was seated in the back and later reported rib pain and shoulder tightness after returning to base.

The instructor also reported injuries involving the spine and pelvis. Work restrictions lasted 4 days, shorter than several periods of restricted duty or time away from work recorded in other Zoox and Waymo cases.

One Zoox worker missed 46 days

A Zoox worker was sidelined for 46 days after reporting severe back pain following the operation of a test vehicle in Las Vegas in May 2025. The worker said the pain affected driving and deep breathing, but was unsure whether autonomous vehicle behavior caused the problem.

Zoox classified the case as involving a vehicle maneuver. The absence lasted 46 days, the longest among the 8 Zoox injury cases, whereas most of the other cases involved hard braking or related autonomous-system behavior.

OSHA rules shape injury disclosures

Public workplace injury records include certain autonomous vehicle operations, as required by federal reporting requirements. Waymo and Zoox operations fall under the taxi, limo, or transit categories, which are subject to broader disclosure rules.

OSHA requires establishments with at least 100 employees in certain higher-hazard industries to submit detailed injury information. Smaller or newer operations can fall outside those public reporting thresholds, while annual injury information is submitted the following year.

Waymo expanded its robotaxi fleet

Waymo had more than 1,500 commercial vehicles by May 2025 as it expanded its service areas and prepared additional markets. By September 1, 2026, Waymo’s fleet had grown to more than 4,000 autonomous vehicles, with public operations expanding to 14 U.S. cities.

Waymo does not publish a separate count for vehicles used only for testing. The company spent more than a decade developing autonomous driving technology before its broader commercial expansion accelerated in 2025.

Zoox began charging in Las Vegas

Zoox began charging passengers for robotaxi rides in Las Vegas in August 2026. The Amazon-owned company also offers public rides in San Francisco while expanding autonomous testing and mapping operations across additional U.S. markets.

Zoox added Houston and San Diego to its testing footprint in September 2026, bringing its operations to 12 locations. Contractors had reported abrupt braking in modified Toyota Highlander test vehicles as recently as July 2026, while Zoox was preparing its commercial expansion.

Zoox recalled vehicles over braking

Zoox filed a 2025 recall covering 258 automated driving systems after a federal investigation examined unexpected braking in its vehicles. Some worker injuries recorded in 2025 occurred after the recall was issued, while Zoox said those later incidents involved behavior unrelated to the earlier software problem.

Zoox issued another software recall in July 2026 covering 105 autonomous vehicles after one robotaxi struggled to respond to heavy smoke at an emergency fire scene. The company deployed updated software to address smoke detection.

San Francisco supports new robotaxi safety standards after Waymo incidents reflect a broader push for stricter oversight as autonomous fleets expand.

Hard braking also reached robotaxis

Zoox reported 2 robotaxi crashes to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during the 8 months before August 2026 that involved hard braking for road debris. In both cases, Zoox’s robotaxis were hit from behind after braking.

Zoox designed its robotaxi without a traditional steering wheel or pedals, and the vehicles can operate without a human driver. Injuries involving passengers rather than employees would not appear in the OSHA workplace injury data used to document the worker cases.

Waymo robotaxis fined $9,325 for parking violations in Austin shows how operational problems can also create costs outside California.

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.