Increasingly, parents in San Francisco and Silicon Valley are relying on robotaxis to transport their unaccompanied children — mostly teenagers who aren’t quite old enough for a driver’s license. This practice breaks the rules imposed by Waymo and its state regulators, which require that riders be 18 or older unless they have an adult chaperone. But parents have found they’re unlikely to get caught, and the need is clear.
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“It’s really become part of our culture,” said Megan Schmidt, a mother in the Inner Richmond who considers Waymo a vital form of mobility for her 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son. Like other moms, Schmidt said that AVs have helped her reclaim a lot of time, some of which she can spend socializing with other parents.
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Waymo responded to similar interest in another market, Phoenix, by introducing teen accounts for riders ages 14 to 17 — with the stipulation that each be linked to a parent or guardian. The feature, launched last July, was pitched as a tool for parents who want to give their children more autonomy while still being able to track their trips. It drew instant buzz.
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Whether Waymo or any of its competitors can replicate this feature in San Francisco is unclear. The company would need approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, whose members are midway through a process to make new rules and policies for autonomous vehicles. Children’s use of robotaxis was among the items up for discussion, though at this point it’s unclear where regulators would land.