Waymo presents safety case to Oregon legislative committee as members raise questions about cybersecurity, edge cases and policy guardrails

Michael McGee, who manages Waymo’s West Coast policy engagement, told the Joint Interim Committee on Transportation that Waymo’s mission is safety and that the company has operated publicly in five cities for multiple years. McGee said Waymo conducts more than 250,000 rides per week, has driven over 100,000,000 miles autonomously and that — comparing Waymo’s driving performance to human drivers in the same cities — the company has seen "91% fewer serious injury or worse crashes." (Waymo also referenced fewer airbag deployments and large reductions in injury‑causing crashes.)

McGee described the technical elements of Waymo’s approach: a three‑type sensor suite (lidar, radar and cameras), onboard computers that perform the driving task independent of a continuous network connection, and software that continuously answers four questions—where to go, where the vehicle is, what surrounds it and what will happen next. He said vehicles are programmed to enter a ‘‘minimal risk condition’’ when the system cannot safely continue, which usually means pulling to the side of the road unless another action better minimizes risk.

On cybersecurity and malicious interference, McGee said Waymo’s driving computer is onboard each vehicle and the company is not remotely driving cars from headquarters; he described tamper sensors and remote‑support procedures designed to mitigate physical or remote attacks. McGee also said Waymo trains first responders and has ‘‘trained over 20,000 first responders since 2021’’ on how to interact with the vehicles.

Committee members raised several practical concerns. Representative Evans said an ability to do something does not mean Oregon should adopt it immediately and urged a phased approach; he said, "I don't want Oregon to do this, but if Oregon's going to do this, I don't think we need to be first." Senator Weber asked about vehicle weight and road impacts; McGee estimated the vehicle is under 10,000 pounds and ‘‘around 7 to 8,000 pounds’’ and offered to follow up with exact figures. Members also asked about operations in lower‑connectivity rural areas; McGee said the driving task is performed onboard but app‑based customer interactions require internet access, and areas without reliable connection would limit Waymo’s service.

McGee said Waymo supports regulation that provides clarity for deployment (for example, statutes that vest reporting and approval authority with DMV or DOT) and urged lawmakers to review safety reports and the company’s public safety materials (Waymo posts data required by NHTSA and state DMVs at waymo.com/safety). The company agreed to send safety documentation to committee staff for follow‑up.

The presentation was informational; the committee did not take action. Several legislators voiced caution about near‑term adoption and asked for further technical documentation and follow‑up on edge cases, cybersecurity safeguards and exact vehicle specifications.