Maryland lawmakers don't authorize driverless vehicles before legislative session ends
Maryland lawmakers pumped the brakes on authorizing autonomous vehicles to drive in the state, according to our media partner, The Baltimore Banner.
In 2025, Waymo announced plans to bring its driverless ride-share vehicle to 15 more cities, including Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Manual driving tests of Waymo vehicles started last December.
Waymo and other driverless vehicles need special permits in Maryland to operate fully autonomously and carry passengers.
"We'll explore every available avenue to gain the certainty needed to invest millions of dollars in the jobs and infrastructure required to support our Baltimore operations," Ethan Teicher, a spokesperson for Waymo, told The Banner. "We want to bring our technology to the state of Maryland, and we've heard from people across the state who want access to the safety and accessibility benefits of our ride-hailing service."
Waymo testify to Maryland lawmakers
In March, Waymo representatives testified in front of the Maryland House of Delegates and the state Senate to advocate for two bills that would authorize autonomous vehicles in Maryland.
"All you need to do is use the Waymo app," Teicher said last month. "You can hail a vehicle just like any other rideshare service. The only big difference is that you're all alone by yourself. It's your private space, and it's the same driver, so to speak, every time."
Advocating for autonomous cars
Supporters last month told CBS News Baltimore that autonomous vehicles, including Waymo, could make roads safer,
"The human driver — we love them — but they are not the best behind the wheel of a vehicle in the state of Maryland or in the U.S.," John Seng, the founder and chair of SafeRoadsMD, previously. "It is a lot easier to tweak the engineering of an autonomous vehicle than it is to tweak the behavior of one human being who just can't put that cell phone down."
Teicher said data shows that autonomous vehicles are "far safer than the status quo."
"The data shows over 127 million miles of operations under that date, the technology is involved in 90% fewer serious injuries or worse crashes compared to those human drivers where we operate," Teicher added.
Not ready for autonomous vehicles
On the other side, those against autonomous vehicles say the ride-sharing option takes away from people's jobs.
"I am not quick to embrace it at this point," Baltimore resident Spencer Brown said last month. "I know it is taking a lot of jobs away from people that are trying to make an extra buck on the side of whatever they have to do, especially with the rising cost of everything."
Others said they don't know what could happen without a person behind the wheel.
"Regular cars, no electric, and handle our own business," Baltimore resident Gwendolyn Page said.