Safety Audit of Waymo Comes to Some Surprising Findings — NOT! - CleanTechnica

The article discusses Waymo’s recent achievement as the first autonomous driving company to complete independent, third-party audits of its safety case program and remote assistance program, conducted by TÜV SÜD, a global leader in safety testing and certification. Waymo’s approach to developing its self-driving taxi business has been characterized as slow and methodical, prioritizing safety and thoroughness over rapid expansion. This careful strategy has resulted in a strong safety foundation, with the audits confirming that Waymo’s safety case program meets leading industry standards, including the International Standards for Systems and Software Assurance. A safety case, as explained by Waymo, is a formal documentation process that demonstrates how the company determines its fully autonomous system is safe for public road deployment without a human driver. The TÜV SÜD audit involved a comprehensive review of Waymo’s policies, evidence, and operational procedures, as well as interviews with team members to verify consistent application. The remote assistance program, which provides contextual information to vehicles to support autonomous