Robotaxi test drivers injured by sudden braking, OSHA data shows
Data submitted to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration shows Waymo and Zoox test drivers sustained more than two dozen injuries in 2024 and 2025 from abrupt vehicle movements. Experts note the true industry-wide figure may be higher since many AV companies are exempt from mandatory reporting.
Supporters of self-driving technology have long claimed that robotaxis will reduce crashes and make roads safer, and some evidence supports that view. But newly reviewed safety data shows the push toward autonomy has also come with a human cost for the people employed to test it.
A TechCrunch review of records submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that test drivers for Waymo and Zoox sustained more than two dozen injuries during 2024 and 2025, caused by hard braking or other sudden movements made by the autonomous vehicles. In several cases, workers were unable to work for months after suffering injuries such as whiplash when the vehicles stopped abruptly.
A wider industry issue?
The findings cover only two companies, but that doesn't mean the problem is limited to them. Many other autonomous vehicle developers may be exempt from OSHA's mandatory reporting requirements, meaning the actual scale of worker injuries across the industry could be significantly higher than what public records currently show.
Industry still expanding
The report comes amid continued growth in the sector. Autonomous freight startup Gatik raised $200 million in new funding led by the Qatar Investment Authority and Koch Disruptive Technologies, and signed a multiyear commercial deal with PepsiCo. Waymo, meanwhile, announced plans to expand to Munich, Germany, and shared ten lessons learned after its vehicles surpassed 200 million autonomous miles driven. Separately, General Motors is facing heightened scrutiny from U.S. safety regulators following hundreds of incidents, including more than 20 crashes or fires and at least six injuries linked to brake problems in its electric vehicles.
