Inside A Driverless Waymo Car With Gregg Hayes
In this episode of Double Tap, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece welcome long-time listener and tech enthusiast Gregg Hayes to discuss his firsthand experience riding in a fully driverless Waymo car. Broadcasting from Phoenix, Arizona, Gregg shares his excitement about the expansion of Waymo’s autonomous taxi service and how it’s transforming transportation, particularly for blind and visually impaired users.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), has been conducting trials of self-driving cars in select cities, with Phoenix being one of the key locations. Gregg explains why the city was chosen: “Phoenix has perfect conditions for testing—no snow, barely any rain, and a grid-based road system that makes navigation easier.” He also highlights how the technology has evolved, with Waymo now offering fully autonomous rides with no human driver onboard. “I remember the first time I got in the car, I reached forward to check if there was a driver—there wasn’t, and it was great,” he recalls.
One of the most significant aspects of this technology is the independence it provides. “For the first time in my life, I was in a moving vehicle alone—just me and my guide dog,” Gregg says. “No small talk, no refusals, just me going where I needed to go. It’s an incredible feeling.” He describes how the car operates entirely through the Waymo One app, allowing users to summon the vehicle, unlock doors, and even honk the horn to locate it. “I just press a button on my phone, and it honks so I can find it. It’s seamless,” he explains.
Gregg also shares some entertaining anecdotes, including how local residents have reacted to these futuristic vehicles. “There was a viral video of a cop pulling over a Waymo car. He approached the driver’s seat, looked inside, and realized there was no one there. Then, to his surprise, the car just drove away!” he laughs. Despite some initial skepticism, he notes that the community has largely embraced the technology, with data showing a significantly lower accident rate compared to human-driven cars. A study by Swiss RE found that autonomous vehicles result in 76% fewer personal injury incidents per million miles driven.
The conversation touches on accessibility features within the vehicle. Gregg notes that users can activate a “verbose mode” that provides additional spoken details about the journey, including upcoming turns and stops. “It reassures me that everything is working as expected,” he says. He also discusses Waymo’s built-in customer support system, which allows visually impaired users to call an operator who can view the car’s surroundings through onboard cameras and provide real-time assistance. “I once had trouble finding my car, so I called support, and they guided me to it like a human sighted guide would,” he explains.
Looking ahead, Gregg hopes Waymo will expand its services to allow for more complex interactions, such as navigating drive-thrus. “Right now, it can take me to Taco Bell, but can it take me through the drive-thru? That’s my next challenge,” he jokes.
With Waymo continuing to expand across Phoenix and now integrating into Uber’s ride-hailing platform, Gregg believes the future of autonomous transport is bright. “This isn’t just a trial anymore—it’s here to stay. And for blind users, this is a game-changer.”