Tesla and Waymo executives defend the safety of self-driving cars before Senate committee

February 5, 2026

TL;DR

Tesla and Waymo executives asserted their self-driving systems are safer than human drivers.
Congress is considering uniform federal safety regulations for autonomous vehicles (AVs) due to differing state laws.
Senators expressed concerns about recent AV incidents, including Waymo vehicles failing to yield to school buses and striking a child.
Waymo stated their data shows AVs are significantly less likely to be involved in injury collisions compared to human drivers.
Tesla executives emphasized that autonomous driving is the next major advancement to reduce vehicle crash fatalities.
Both Tesla and Waymo stated they would accept liability for collisions caused by software or hardware failures.
Several proposed bills aim to increase transparency, mandate data collection, and define operational limits for AVs.

Continue reading the original article