There’s something special about being able to hop in a car and drive wherever you want. For many in America, driving means freedom—the chance to go anywhere on your own terms. While some younger people are less interested in getting licenses, lots of teenagers still look forward to learning to drive. In many towns, where buses and trains don’t go far, cars remain the key to independence.
Lately, though, self-driving cars have stirred up some concern among car lovers. These cars, powered by AI and sensors, can drive themselves without a human at the wheel. Big companies like Google and Elon Musk’s Tesla are leading the charge. But some fear these robot cars could replace the fun of driving with a future full of impersonal rides controlled by unknown hands. There are also worries they could be hacked or spoofed, causing safety problems.
Despite these worries, some who have tried self-driving cars say they’re a helpful addition rather than a replacement for regular vehicles. One thing nobody enjoys is commuting, the daily slog to work or school. Self-driving cars could take over these boring trips, making life easier.
Waymo, a self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, has been working on this technology since 2009. It now runs over 2,000 electric driverless cars in cities like Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin, and Atlanta. These cars often appear on Uber apps. Coming soon in 2026 are Dallas, Denver, Miami, Nashville, and Washington, DC. New York City just let Waymo keep trying out robot taxis until the end of the year, and Seattle might join next.
Currently, Waymo offers more than 250,000 trips each week, with riders giving the service a 98% satisfaction rating in LA. New laws in California will even let police issue tickets if autonomous cars break traffic rules.
Around the world, driverless taxis and shuttles are starting to run in places like China, Singapore, and the Middle East, with tests in Europe as well. Experts predict self-driving cars could become common in the US by 2030. But getting there won’t be simple. The development needs billions of dollars, better technology, more charging stations, and updated laws.
Big automakers like Ford, GM, and Volkswagen have stopped or altered their self-driving taxi projects after spending billions. GM now aims to focus on self-driving tech for personal use instead. Volkswagen plans to test autonomous electric vehicles in Los Angeles via Uber in 2026, but these will have human backup drivers at first. Tesla’s robotaxi service is not open to the public yet, and its launch keeps getting delayed.
For people worried about trying these cars, demand is growing. Most riders enjoy the experience. Self-driving vehicles can reduce accidents caused by human mistakes, which cause over 90% of traffic deaths worldwide.
Waymo uses advanced AI combined with cameras, sensors, and detailed maps to drive its fleet of Jaguar electric cars. Compared to other “hands-free” systems in regular cars, Waymo’s tech is far more advanced, though it still faces limits in range and handling unexpected events.
A recent passenger shared her first week riding Waymo cars in Los Angeles. She appreciated how easy it was to book rides through an app, though sometimes the wait was long—one morning it took 26 minutes to arrive, longer than an Uber might have taken. The car showed up exactly on time, though, which is rare with traditional ride shares.
The car unlocked itself when it arrived, and the passenger just had to buckle up and press a button on the screen to start the ride. Once on the road, it was easy to forget there was no driver. Instead of focusing on the road, she used the time to stretch, check emails, and make to-do lists. The trip cost $23.28—almost half the price of comparable Uber options.
There were a few glitches. The car paused behind a parked truck, causing some honking. It also dropped her off a short distance away from the exact spot she requested, often choosing safer drop-off points rather than the quickest. Sometimes the route felt longer or less direct than driving herself. On one trip, she couldn’t change her destination mid-ride, which was frustrating.
Still, she liked the calm, privacy, and safety of riding alone, especially since driverless cars can reduce worries about bad behavior from drivers. She hopes the service grows and improves to become more flexible.
Using more self-driving cars could mean less road rage, fewer accidents and drunk-driving incidents, quieter streets, and less traffic congestion. The cars drive smoothly and respectfully, easy to relax in—even dozing off. Waymo and companies like Zoox, Pony Ai, and WeRide are working to bring these cars everywhere. The global market for self-driving cars was worth $1.7 trillion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $3.9 trillion by 2034.
For now, many people plan to keep their own cars but use driverless services to ease the daily grind, hoping one day they won’t need traditional rideshare apps like Uber at all.