Waymo
December 5, 2024
GHSA is working with Waymo on the critical issue of autonomous vehicles (AV).
Governors Highway Safety Association
The States' Voice on Highway Safety
First Responder Training Resources
GHSA is partnering with Waymo to develop and promote an introductory automated vehicle (AV) training program for first responders – law enforcement, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, tow truck operators, crash reconstructionists – to prepare for the rapidly changing safety protocols associated with AV technology.
Waymo Community
Building on the shared belief that autonomous vehicles (AV) have the potential to make our roads safer, GHSA is partnering with Waymo to educate key stakeholders and the public through their Waymo Community campaign, formerly known as Let's Talk Autonomous Driving. GHSA’s AV policy supports the development and deployment of this technology to “improve road safety, mobility and convenience.”
The public education campaign’s goal is to convey how self-driving vehicles think and work, how they make transportation accessible to the disabled and those who cannot obtain a driver’s license, and how they can help eliminate unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding, distraction and impairment. Learn more about the program here, or see information about autonomous driving basics, Waymo technology and community impact.
In 2023, GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins and Senior Director of Policy and Government Affairs Russ Martin experienced the Waymo One ride-hailing car and a Waymo Via truck first-hand. Watch them discuss their experience in these driverless vehicles, how AV technology is a key part of reaching our shared goal of zero traffic deaths and why AVs can offer greater mobility options to those who need them most.
Additional Resources
Pedestrian Safety
October 2020 marked the first nationwide observance of Pedestrian Safety Month. GHSA and Waymo developed a video to call attention to the magnitude of the U.S. pedestrian safety problem and how AV technology can help. Connected and autonomous vehicles allow drivers to see pedestrians sooner and take action to avoid a collision. Read more and watch the video here.
Partner
Related Resources
GHSA Reports
March 25, 2026
Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2025 Preliminary Data (January-June)
Drivers struck and killed 3,024 people walking in the United States in first six months of 2025, down 10.9% from the year before – the largest annual decline since GHSA began tracking pedestrain deaths 15 years ago.
News Releases
March 25, 2026
U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Fall 11% in First Half of 2025, According to New GHSA Research
Drivers struck and killed 3,024 people walking during the first half of 2025, an average of 16 per day, according to a new data analysis from GHSA. That is an 11% decline from the same period the year before – the largest drop since GHSA began tracking pedestrian fatalities 15 years ago.
State Showcases
March 19, 2026
Youth Active Transportation Safety Grant Result: Washington
In 2024-2025, GHSA partnered with the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) to provide a $25,000 grant to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) to launch a new bi-county pedestrian and bicycle education program for Pre-K through middle school students in Garfield and Asotin Counties, two rural counties in Washington.