Austin robotaxi crash reports rise for Waymo, Tesla, Avride

Waymo, the industry leader in autonomous vehicles and an arm of Google's parent company Alphabet, has now reported more than 100 crashes in Austin. In May, Waymo reported 11 crashes in the city to federal regulators, bringing its total to 103 since June 2025. Tesla reported one additional crash in Austin, raising its citywide total to 18 among a fleet of 69 vehicles across Texas. Avride, which has 317 vehicles in the state, reported three new Austin crashes, increasing its city total to 23. Zoox, owned by Amazon, remained at one reported crash in Austin. Several of the crashes occurred while the autonomous vehicles were stopped. In one case, a Waymo vehicle was involved in a crash at an intersection where police officers were directing traffic. Another crash involved an Avride vehicle hydroplaning on a wet road. Avride vehicles were also involved in several crashes involving lane changes and failing to avoid vehicles or objects in the roadway. Tesla reported one new Austin crash, but questions remain about how broadly its robotaxi service is available to paying customers seeking rides without a safety monitor. Austinites have occasionally responded to robotaxis with caution and complaints, and a city dashboard tracking resident reports logged five safety concerns and five near misses involving Waymo in May, along with other complaints about nuisances or traffic blockages. Self-driving vehicles also reported crashes elsewhere in Texas.