Waymo has begun offering teen accounts for families in Phoenix as it works to expand its user base and establish young drivers as independent drivers.
Waymo’s teen accounts will be similar to those offered by Uber, which also allows parents to set up accounts for teens in Phoenix and other cities across the country. Parents in the Phoenix metro can link a profile to their Waymo One accounts for teens ages 14 to 17. The teens will then be able to book their own rides and share the status of the ride with their parents.
The opening up of autonomous vehicles to transport children may reassure some parents who would otherwise be reluctant to put their child in a car alone with another adult, even though companies like Uber claim to match teens with safe, highly rated drivers. And in states such as California, where taxi drivers transporting children are required to be fingerprinted, dashcams could eliminate some of the red tape.
That is, of course, if parents trust the safety of an AI-driven car.
Other safety concerns come to mind when we imagine teenagers driving alone in cars. Although Uber and Lyft claim to train their drivers to identify cases of human trafficking, sexual abusers have been able to circumvent this system and transport minors.
TechCrunch asked Waymo how the company can confirm that a teenager linked to an adult’s account is a member of that family, and what steps the company takes if other drivers get into the vehicle with the teenager.
A Waymo spokesperson did not respond to the first request. He said that safety is Waymo’s top priority, as evidenced by the specially trained support agents available to help children during rides 24/7, who can reach out to parents for additional support if needed.
In a press release, Waymo emphasizes that providing teens with a safer way to get around via robocars will help address the increased risk of road accidents faced by teens.
While Waymo is launching in Phoenix, the company said it will be expanding accounts for teens in cities outside of California where the Waymo app is available. In addition to Los Angeles and the Bay Area, Waymo provides commercial robotaxi services through the Uber app in Austin and Atlanta, and plans to launch in Miami this year and in Washington, D.C., in 2026.
A company spokesperson said that in the future, Waymo may consider providing access to teens through “network partners” such as Uber.
