Waymo begins offering rides in Denver

Waymo is now accepting rides from customers in Denver. The company announced its first public riders earlier on Tuesday.

For now, it is selecting customers from a sign-up list. Waymo says tens of thousands of people have already signed up, and the company is inviting new riders on a rolling basis to ensure operations run smoothly.

Waymo began testing its self-driving vehicles with human specialists behind the wheel last year. The vehicles will serve customers in 60 square miles of Denver, including City Park, Cory-Merrill and Cherry Creek.

According to Waymo, its autonomous cars are five times safer than human drivers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety compared crash rates in four major cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin, from 2021 to 2024. It found that the self-driving Waymos were involved in 68% fewer crashes than vehicles driven by people.

Last week, a Waymo van was involved in a three-vehicle crash near Denver Health. The company says that van detected a pedestrian and stopped, then it was rear-ended. Witnesses told CBS Colorado they did not see anyone crossing the street. The Denver Police Department says it has no records of other crashes involving Waymo vehicles in the city.

Denver is an important testing ground for the company due to its winter conditions. The company says it intends to eventually expand service in the metro area and to the Denver International Airport.