Sprains, pain, and whiplash: Waymo and Zoox test drivers are getting hurt as robotaxis scale
Data from OSHA reveals that test drivers for autonomous vehicle companies Waymo and Zoox have suffered numerous injuries, including whiplash and strains, due to sudden braking and swerving. While these companies are subject to higher reporting standards, the actual number of injuries may be underreported due to regulatory thresholds.
Why it matters
The report underscores the physical risks faced by human workers during the development and testing phase of autonomous vehicle technology.
The rapid scaling of robotaxis over the last two years has come with a hidden human cost.
Test drivers for Waymo and Zoox sustained more than two dozen injuries in 2024 and 2025 from hard braking or other sudden movements made by the autonomous vehicles, according to a TechCrunch review of data submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
These test drivers, who put autonomous vehicles through their paces on public roads, have suffered sprains, strains, whiplash, and more, according to OSHA data and interviews with former and current workers. Some have been sidelined for weeks or months.
Transdev, which employs and manages Waymo’s test drivers, reported 16 injuries tied to Waymo depot locations in three cities that were caused by the autonomous software braking hard or swerving suddenly. Zoox reported as many as eight worker injuries linked to hard braking.
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