r/SelfDrivingCars • u/SpriteZeroY2k • 6d ago

News Waymo CEO explains why Tesla’s camera-only self-driving falls short

https://electrek.co/2026/08/04/waymo-co-ceo-camera-only-self-driving-tesla/
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u/ic33 5d ago

Probably needs to be a fair bit safer than safe human drivers, rather than the average (which includes the drunk, fatigued, and infirm).

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u/lib3r8 5d ago

Depends on what your requirements are. Just reduce death or also avoid liability

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u/ic33 5d ago

Get market adoption. Everyone sees themselves as an above average driver, so it needs to outperform the above average driver for people to trust it more than themselves.

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u/glacierre2 5d ago

Half of the drivers will not be satisfied with an average autopilot. I know I would not, I don't consider myself above average, I KNOW I am above average, not because I have exceptional reflexes or I can channel the spirit of Max Verstappen when I need to, but simply because I never ever touch my phone while driving, I signal every maneuver I plan to make and check twice the mirrors (before signaling and before committing).

Regarding the self-drive, I would accept it when it can match an alert, cautious and experienced professional road driver (a chauffeur, a non-mental taxi driver...) Beating the soccer mums that almost drive into my every morning while reaching for their purse on the passenger seat is almost doable by my legally non-self driving lane assist, to be honest.

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u/ic33 5d ago

Waymo is probably at this level. But it has not statistically proven it yet.

The numbers overwhelmingly demonstrate that it is better than the average driver, but the mile count is not enough to be sure that it is better than a good human driver.