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Autonomous vehicles (aka “driverless cars”) are a new concept that have entered our car industry.  They are basically cars that are operated with the help of artificial intelligence excluding a human being.  They are also built with technology that can detect traffic, pedestrians, and physical hazards.  Last but not least, they can automatically adjust their speed and the course of the drive without the help of a human.   

 HOW DID THEY COME ABOUT   

Well, the cars were originated as far back as the 1920’s.  Fast forward, they had started intensive research on them as far back as 1984.  It was not until 2015 when General Motors did a test with a vehicle called the Cruise that came into form.  Then around 2017, Waymo developed a robotaxi service in Phoenix, AZ.  Cruise was eventually discontinued in 2024 and other companies, such as Ford and Volkswagen scaled back on them, as well.   Today, Telsa has entered the market with their version of an autonomous vehicle. 

 Driverless cars is a trend that is primarily on the West Coast of the United States (San Francisco, CA and Los Angeles, CA), and is currently being tested in other markets, such as Austin, TX and Chicago, IL, and Phoenix, AZ.  The brand Waymo, which is coming to Chicago soon, is also being tested in ten other major cities.  There are other driverless cars (or taxis) on the market as well.  (For the sake of this paper, we will be discussing the Waymo cars). 

 On February 25, 2026, Waymo said it will be begin collecting data to map out Chicago streets for the use of their commercialized taxi service (per “ABC7 Chicago”).  Currently, Chicago and Illinois are not authorized yet for the operation of autonomous vehicles on the road.  Per Waymo’s post, it indicated that “The Waymo Driver is a generalizable, AI-first technology designed to adapt to complex urban environments – from multi-lane expressways to dense city streets (per “Waymo.com”).  They are projecting possible a three-year pilot period for the Chicagoland area.  There are a few on the streets now being tested, as we speak, in certain communities.    

 WHAT MAKES THEM DIFFERENT 

What makes the Waymo cars different than the other cars on the roads are their sensors.  The cars have several sensors which are as follows (per “Waymo.com”): 

Vision System – It is said to have a vision way better than humans, in addition to the cameras attached to it.  It has an awareness that no human person can match.  The visions feature on the car also works well in inclement weather conditions (such as rain, ice, and dirt).   

Lidar System – It has the ability to see farther distances even in harsh weather, which is difficult for humans, making this a big plus.   

Radar System – It has a radar that develops dense maps that help track the distance of items in all weather. 

External Audio Receivers (EARS) – It has several External Audio Receivers (“EARS”) that are on the vehicle to help the autonomous driver detect sounds while driving, such as police sirens, railroad crossings and trains, and other emergency vehicles and sounds outside the vehicle.  There is a dome on top of the car, and the EARS are strategically placed around it, so that they can work together.  They also allow the driver to know when the outside sounds are near before reaching it, or even before it is able to identify it. 

Per Waymo’s site, they are working on building a “Driver” more so than a car, so they can upgrade or make corrections as they progress on the vehicles. 

PROS AND CONS 

PROS 

Improved Safety -- Most accidents today are caused by human error (distraction, fatigue, and drone driving).  Self-driving cars can reduce these risks by reacting faster and staying alert constantly. 

Increased Convenience -- Passengers can relax, work or sleep instead of focusing on driving – it is a big added feature for long commutes. 

Better Traffic Flow -- Autonomous vehicles can communicate with each other which can help reduce congestion, optimize routes, and minimize a lot of stop-and-go traffic. 

Accessibility – They are a major help to those who cannot drive, like the elderly, disabled, or visually impaired, by giving them the opportunity to gain some independence. 

Fuel Efficiency & Environmental Benefits – They can offer smoother driving patterns (which means less braking and accelerating), this in turn can reduce fuel consumption and emissions. 
 

CONS 

High Cost – The technology being used in these cars (the sensors, AI systems, and software) is expensive, making these cars costly to buy and maintain. 

Job Loss – It could eventually lead to a reduction in the labor force, if widespread adoption takes place, it could affect jobs like taxi drivers, truck drivers, and delivery workers. 

Safety Concerns (technology limits) – The cars are promising, but autonomous systems can still fail in complex or unpredictable situations (examples, harsh weather, unusual road conditions, etc.). 

Cybersecurity Risks – Since these cars rely heavily on software and connectivity, they could very well be vulnerable to hacking. 

Ethical Dilemmas – In unavoidable accident situations, and programming decisions, the cars can raise ethical questions, like who is at fault, and other issues, considering there is no human driver behind the wheel. 

Legal and Regulatory Issues – The Laws and liability are a big concern, since there is no physical driver of the car.   It poses the question, who is responsible in a crash –the owner, manufacturer, or the software developer.  

 PERFORMANCE REPORTINGS ON THE NEWS (per “ABC7CHICAGO News”) 

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 – San Bruno, CA -- California police pull over a Waymo car for making an illegal U-Turn in their presence.  No citation was issued because there was not a driver in the car.  Per the news article, this will change in July 2026 when California issues a new law which will allow officers to issue a citation to the operators of driverless vehicles (per “ABC7CHICAGO”). 

Friday, January 29, 2026 – Santa Monica, CA -- A Waymo car hit a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica.  It happened on January 23, 2026, when the child entered the roadway, he or she was coming from behind a SUV and right in the path of a moving Waymo car.  The child suffered minor injuries during the incident.  Waymo issued a statement and said, “the car braked hard” and reduced it speed from 16 miles per hour to 6 miles per hour before striking the child.  They also indicated that that reduction in speed was quicker than any human could have made during that time.  They also submitted the information to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to be investigated (per “ABC7CHICAG0”). 

Monday, December 8, 2025 – San Jose, CA -- On Friday, December 5, 2025, Waymo issued a voluntary recall on Waymo in the Austin, TX area after a recording showed them illegally driving past school buses.  There were no injuries, but 19 incidents were reported, so school leaders advised that they pause all operations near schools during pick-up and drop-off times (per “ABC7CHICAG0”).  Per KGO-TV, Waymo told them they were taking their cars (robotaxis) off the road and that all their vehicles had a system update on November 17, 2025.  Of course, they must answer questions from the National Highway Safety Administration about the incidents. 

Wednesday, August 28, 2024 -- Tempe, AZ – A Waymo car was captured on video driving the wrong way in Arizona.  The drivers (both females) stated they were worried because it was coming their way and possibly having a head-on crash and got out of the way.  They also said, if a human had been driving the car, they would have gotten a citation.  They said the car just continued to go on its way driving on the wrong way of the street.  Waymo issued a statement and said, “The trust and safety of the community is our top priority.  The Waymo Driver was proceeding through an intersection when the light changed, and the vehicle rerouted its course by making a right turn, safely clearing the intersection within a minute.  We continuously refine our system’s performance to navigate complex scenarios while prioritizing community safety” (per “ABC7CHICAGO”). 

Autonomous cars are definitely cars of the new age.  They appear to be making their presence steadily across the United States with an uptick.  Waymo is appearing at airports here in America also, in addition to those states previously mentioned, where a person can catch them to or from an airport.  The airports that currently have this full service are Phoenix Sky Harbor, San Jose Mineta, San Francisco International, and San Antonio International (per “Waymo on X”). 

As far as Autonomous vehicles in project management (aka “AV project Management/project managers”) it entails engineering, AI, operations, and safety-critical systems.  For AV projects it is not so much about the budgets and the timelines, but coordinating complex, interdependent technologies in a world where failures will have a significant impact in the world using the agile methodology. 

In Closing, Waymo appears to be a leader in the autonomous vehicles industry and is changing the way we travel.  If you have not had the opportunity to ride in one, and you are not afraid of the driverless experience, embark on the journey.   They are coming soon to a city near you.