Witherite Law Group Raises Concerns About Waymo's National Expansion as Cities Push Back and Safety Questions Persist
Witherite: ‘Safer Than Human Drivers’ Claim Does Not Hold Up Against a Pattern of School Bus Violations, Federal Investigations, and First Responder Failures That No Responsible Regulator Should Ignore
Even as Waymo aggressively pursues expansion into dozens of American cities, its rollout is facing mounting resistance — and a safety record that its own advocates say tells only part of the story. Amy Witherite, founding attorney of Witherite Law Group and a leading voice for autonomous vehicle accountability, says the gap between Waymo’s safety claims and its real-world performance is exactly why enforceable standards must come before further deployment.
Waymo currently operates in more than ten U.S. cities and has announced plans to expand to as many as 20 additional markets. But that expansion is stalling. New York City let its Waymo pilot expire in March, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani showing no interest in revival. New York Governor Kathy Hochul withdrew a robotaxi expansion bill in February after it failed to gain support from lawmakers and labor groups. Washington D.C.’s deployment remains stalled in regulatory limbo. City leaders in Boston and Seattle are weighing ordinances that would ban autonomous vehicles outright, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System passed a resolution opposing Waymo expansion in January 2026.
