Self-driving cars on every road

How far are we from self-driving cars on every road?

On 8 July 2026 Waymo said it would soon drive fully autonomously in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver, with employees riding first and public riders to follow. In Great Britain the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets out the legal framework, and government pilots of passenger services without safety drivers were planned from spring 2026. Cars that private owners can use on any road, in any weather, are not close.

AI illustration · Illustrative scene, not a photograph of the specific device or experiment.
WHERE WE AREPilots

Close. Early pilots are running in the real world.

Waymo is extending rider-only driving to four more US cities, starting with employees, and has said public riders will follow. The UK has set up a pilot scheme for passenger services without a safety driver, but I could not confirm from a primary source that any such passenger pilot has started. Cars that private owners can use on every road remain a long way off, so the stage is pilot.

The tech tree

Everything recorded on Vrulum that this future needs, oldest foundations at the top and the goal at the bottom. Lines show what each step requires.

What it takes: Self-driving cars on every road Unlocked Being researched Locked
  1. 1856ManufacturingIndustrial steelmakingCommercial Unlocked.
  1. 1774ManufacturingPrecision machine tools and interchangeable partsCommercialRequires: Industrial steelmaking. Unlocked.
  1. 1967Modern systemsCar electronics and engine controlCommercial Unlocked.
  2. 3500 BCMovementThe wheel and axleCommercial Unlocked.
  3. 1712PowerThe steam engineCommercialRequires: Precision machine tools and interchangeable parts. Unlocked.
  4. 1859PowerLead-acid batteriesCommercial Unlocked.
  5. 1859PowerPetroleum refiningCommercial Unlocked.
  1. 1816ControlVehicle steeringCommercialRequires: The wheel and axle. Unlocked.
  2. 1827ControlClutches, gearboxes and differentialsCommercialRequires: Precision machine tools and interchangeable parts. Unlocked.
  3. 1902ControlVehicle brakesCommercialRequires: Car electronics and engine control. Unlocked.
  4. 1901ManufacturingAssembly-line mass productionCommercialRequires: Precision machine tools and interchangeable parts. Unlocked.
  5. 1952Modern systemsVehicle safety systemsCommercial Unlocked.
  6. 1956Modern systemsCatalytic convertersCommercial Unlocked.
  7. 1964Modern systemsSatellite navigation (GNSS)Commercial Unlocked.
  8. 1750MovementSprings and vehicle suspensionCommercialRequires: The wheel and axle. Unlocked.
  9. 1794MovementRolling bearingsCommercialRequires: Precision machine tools and interchangeable parts. Unlocked.
  10. 1844MovementVulcanised rubber and pneumatic tyresCommercialRequires: The wheel and axle. Unlocked.
  11. 1821PowerThe electric motorCommercialRequires: Industrial steelmaking. Unlocked.
  12. 1860PowerThe internal combustion engineCommercialRequires: The steam engine, Petroleum refining, Precision machine tools and interchangeable parts. Unlocked.
  13. 1976PowerLithium-ion batteriesCommercialRequires: Lead-acid batteries. Unlocked.
  1. 1769VehicleThe motor carCommercialRequires: The wheel and axle, Vulcanised rubber and pneumatic tyres, Springs and vehicle suspension, Rolling bearings, The internal combustion engine, The electric motor, Lead-acid batteries, Vehicle steering, Vehicle brakes, Clutches, gearboxes and differentials, Assembly-line mass production, Industrial steelmaking, Car electronics and engine control, Vehicle safety systems, Catalytic converters, Satellite navigation (GNSS), Lithium-ion batteries, Petroleum refining, Precision machine tools and interchangeable parts, The steam engine. Unlocked.
  1. 2019Autonomous road vehiclesPilot and early commercialRequires: The motor car, Satellite navigation (GNSS). Unlocked.
  1. 2021Shared definitions of driving automationDone Unlocked.
  2. 2024UK legal framework for automated vehiclesDone Unlocked.
  3. Date not recordedRider-only driving in four more US citiesIn progress Being researched.
  4. Date not recordedPaid public driverless rides in those US citiesNot started Locked.
  5. Date not recordedUK pilot passenger services without a safety driverIn progress Being researched.
  6. Date not recordedDriverless operation on all road types and in all weatherNot started Locked.
  7. Date not recordedPrivately owned cars that drive themselves on any roadNot started Locked.
  1. GoalSelf-driving cars on every roadGoalRequires: Autonomous road vehicles, Shared definitions of driving automation, Rider-only driving in four more US cities, Paid public driverless rides in those US cities, UK legal framework for automated vehicles, UK pilot passenger services without a safety driver, Driverless operation on all road types and in all weather, Privately owned cars that drive themselves on any road. Locked.

The road so far

2 of 7 steps done, 2 in progress.

  1. Done · Apr 2021Shared definitions of driving automation

    SAE J3016 sets out six levels of driving automation, from Level 0 (no driving automation) to Level 5 (full driving automation). The standard is designed to describe what a system can do, which gives regulators, developers and the public a common vocabulary. [1]

  2. In progressRider-only driving in four more US cities

    On 8 July 2026 Waymo said it would soon begin driving fully autonomously, without a human specialist behind the wheel, in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver. The rider-only operation was to start with employees, and public riders were not yet included at the time of the announcement. [2]

  3. Not startedPaid public driverless rides in those US cities

    Waymo has said it expects to welcome public riders soon in the four new cities. I could not confirm from a primary source that paid public rides without a safety driver are running in them yet. [2]

  4. Done · 2024UK legal framework for automated vehicles

    The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (chapter 10) sets out the legal framework for automated vehicles in Great Britain. Part 5 covers permits for automated passenger services. [3]

  5. In progressUK pilot passenger services without a safety driver

    In July 2025 the Department for Transport said that paying passengers with no safety driver would be carried from spring 2026 under the pilot scheme. I could not confirm from a primary source that these pilots have started. [4]

  6. Not startedDriverless operation on all road types and in all weather

    No source reviewed shows an automated vehicle driving without a human fallback on every road type, in every weather condition, across a whole country.

  7. Not startedPrivately owned cars that drive themselves on any road

    A private owner can buy a car that drives itself on any road without supervision. None of the sources reviewed shows such a vehicle on sale.

Why it matters

The case for automated driving rests on safety and on access, since people who cannot drive could travel on their own. That case depends on showing that the vehicles perform safely across the roads and conditions people actually drive in. It also depends on clear rules for who is responsible when something goes wrong, which is why governments are writing those rules now.

What stands in the way

  • Proof of safety across the full range of roads, weather and traffic that drivers face, which city-scale services do not yet cover.
  • Passenger services need a permit before they start, as the UK permitting scheme requires.
  • Clear rules on who is responsible when an automated vehicle is involved in a crash.
  • The cost of vehicles and of the remote support, cleaning and charging needed to run a fleet.
  • Public acceptance, which depends on clear evidence of safety and clear rules when things go wrong.

Signals to watch

  • Public riders carried without a safety driver in San Diego, Las Vegas, Tampa and Denver over several months.
  • A passenger pilot without a safety driver starting in Great Britain under a permit.
  • A final UK statement of safety principles for automated vehicles.
  • Crash-rate data for driverless vehicles published by a regulator or in a peer-reviewed study.
  • Driverless service expanding to rural roads or to cities with heavy rain or snow.

Sources

  1. standard
    J3016_202104: Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles
    SAE International, Apr 2021.
  2. company announcement
    From the road, July 8, 2026
    The Waymo Team. Waymo, 8 Jul 2026.
  3. other
    Automated Vehicles Act 2024
    The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), 2024.
  4. government report
    Automated passenger services permitting scheme (written statement to Parliament)
    Heidi Alexander MP. Department for Transport, 21 Jul 2025.

Last reviewed 21 Oct 2026.