On July 8, Waymo announced the official launch of Teen Accounts, making it the first autonomous taxi service in the U.S. to let teens ride alone in fully driverless cars. For parents of teenagers, this could be the start of something big. With real-time tracking, safety features, and no human drivers involved, Waymo is pitching itself safe solution that gives teens more independence and saves parents a lot of time
What Are Waymo Teen Accounts?
Waymo Teen Accounts allow teenagers to request rides on their own in Waymo’s fleet of self-driving vehicles. The process starts with a parent or guardian, who invites their teen to join through the Waymo app. Once the teen accepts the invite, they’ll be able to call their own rides and share trip information with their parents.
Parents can track rides in real time, get notified when trips start and end, and review detailed ride summaries. Teens also have access to 24/7 live support, and in the event of an emergency, Waymo’s trained agents can connect with both the teen and the parent.
This new feature is currently available across Metro Phoenix. Expansion to other cities is expected in the near future.
Image: Waymo
How Does Waymo Teen Compare to Uber Teen?
While Waymo is new to teen accounts, Uber launched Uber Teen back in 2023. The two services take very different approaches.
With Uber Teen, teens are matched with human drivers who have high safety ratings and have passed additional background checks. Parents can track rides in real time, receive notifications, and even contact the driver during a trip. Uber also includes audio recording options and PIN verification for added safety.
The biggest difference? Waymo doesn’t have a driver at all. This makes all of the difference for parents who feel uneasy about their teen riding with strangers. Although the Uber teen drivers went through rigorous background checks, many parents still didn’t feel right about trusting their children to be in a car alone with a stranger. Without a driver, there is no risk of human error or driver misconduct.
What This Changes for Teens and Parents
The launch of Waymo Teen Accounts could fundamentally change how teens gain independence. Having access to a safe, reliable ride without needing a driver’s license means more freedom to go to school events, part-time jobs, and social gatherings. Many teens feel a lot of anxiety around driving, which has caused a trend of fewer teens getting their driver’s licenses. Cars are expensive and learning to drive is intimidating, so the number of teen drivers has gone down in the last couple of years.
For parents, this could be a huge time-saver. Parents have to constantly adjust their schedules to fit their children’s schedules. Between work and errands, it can be very difficult for parents to make time to take their teens to things like soccer practice or the movies with their friends. Scheduling is even more difficult for parents with multiple children. Having a reliable solution for transporting their children would free up a lot of time for parents that they can reallocate to their careers, or simply getting some much needed rest.
The Future of Parenting With Autonomous Vehicles
Waymo’s Teen Accounts may be the beginning of a big trend in teen independence. While the rollout is limited to Phoenix Arizona, it will undoubtedly expand to more cities in the next couple of years. For a lot of people, this will be their first experience with an autonomous vehicle. Things could change in future generations if most households own a self-driving car and children grow up without ever knowing human drivers were a thing.
The future of transportation will look a lot different than it does today. Teens usually look forward to turning 16 so they can get their driver’s license. It has become a symbol of independence and a step into adulthood. How does our life change if teens can already transport themselves through autonomous taxis starting at age 14? Is there a point to owning a car if you can summon a self-driving car at any moment?
While the teens of the future will gain a lot of independence through self-driving cars, they will surely miss out on the lessons and problem solving skills that are learned from buying a 15 year old car off of craigslist.
