Waymo Cracks Down on Parents Using Their Accounts to Shuttle Kids Solo in Driverless Cars

Waymo is intensifying enforcement against parents who circumvent child-riding restrictions by using their own accounts to transport unaccompanied minors in the company's autonomous vehicles. The crackdown, confirmed by the company on Friday, involves mid-ride age-verification checks that have caught some adults off guard—including a 35-year-old San Francisco engineer flagged for looking young and a 23-year-old interrupted during his 26th LA ride. While California law explicitly forbids unaccompanied minors in autonomous vehicles, and Waymo bans solo riders under 18 everywhere except metro Phoenix, parents have been exploiting the system because driverless cars solve real logistical problems: they help families ineligible for school bus services, enable simultaneous dropoffs at different schools, and offer an alternative to public transit or unreliable ride-hail services that sometimes cancel on minors.

Waymo uses in-vehicle cameras to monitor violations and says it doesn't use facial recognition but may access live video feeds during trips to catch violators. Violating the company's terms of service can result in temporary or permanent account suspension. The timing is significant: California labor groups filed a formal regulatory complaint against Waymo just a month ago, accusing it of knowingly transporting unaccompanied minors and breaching its state operating permit. That case was assigned to a judge this week. Meanwhile, Waymo has quietly allowed a legitimate pathway in Phoenix, where it launched teen accounts last summer for riders 14-17, with location tracking and specially trained support agents—a model that serves "hundreds" of families weekly.

The broader regulatory landscape is shifting. California is evaluating new rules that could eventually permit solo riders under 18 in driverless cars, potentially mirroring existing ride-hail company regulations. But for now, the enforcement squeeze is tightening. Beyond the legal complications, economics also limit access: Waymo rides cost roughly 13 percent more than Uber on average, making the service less accessible to cash-strapped families who might otherwise rely on it as a school transport solution.