How Traffic App Waze Could Be Key in Winning the Driverless Race for Google (Particularly Over Uber)

Jennifer van der Kleut

Google’s purchase of Waze a few years ago could turn out to be a clinching factor in Google’s race to win driverless.

Waze, a traffic mapping app that allows drivers and commuters to report accidents and delays, has data-sharing agreements with 51 municipalities around the world. Those municipalities love that they can use Waze’s traffic data for planning and maintenance purposes, Recode recently reported.

This bodes well for Google’s relationship with local and state governments.

Uber, on the other hand, has had a rather volatile relationship with municipalities in the recent past.

As AutoBlog points out, the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ recently released regulations that require that all self-driving vehicles have both a steering wheel and pedals (which Google’s prototype cars do not), and that a licensed driver be ready and capable of taking over operation of the vehicle at all times, deal a death blow to any of Uber’s plans to try and build a driverless ride-hailing business, similar to their current model but without costly employee drivers that dig into the company’s profits.

The fact that Uber has operated in defiance of most governments, most times debuting its services in cities without asking for prior permission, does not bode well for Uber’s future plans.

Though California’s recent regulations for driverless cars do put somewhat of a damper on Google’s current operations, perhaps its pleasant relationship with the state government, and the offering of Waze’s invaluable data, can help pave the way for Google to win.

Only time will tell.