Learning to drive has long been the marquee milestone for American teenagers coming of age. The freedom and self-reliance that comes with driving to school, hanging out with friends, and running errands for the family can be truly life-changing. With that newfound independence also comes new safety risks for families, as motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.
In addition to the safety risk, there are many other barriers to reliable teen transportation, including age, busy parents, vehicle costs, and more. Waymo offers a unique solution for families to keep their teens safe, help combat FOMO, and provide much-needed independence for those navigating adolescence – welcome to Waymo teen accounts!
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Starting today, teens ages 14-17 in Metro Phoenix can travel independently with Waymo when linked to a parent or guardian’s account. Parents of eligible teens can use their own Waymo account to invite their teen into the program, pairing them together. Once activated, teens can hail fully autonomous rides independently across 315 square miles of The Valley.
Waymo teen accounts have protocols in place to offer peace of mind and accountability for families. Specially-trained Rider Support agents are available to assist teens during rides and can loop in their parents if needed. Teens can also share their trip status with their parents for real-time updates on their progress, and parents receive all ride receipts.
Fit for families
We recently offered early access to Waymo teen accounts for Phoenix families, allowing us to hear directly how the new offering may fit into their busy lives.
“We’ve been using the Waymo service for a long, long time,” said Chandler, Arizona parent Crystal Whitlatch. “With Waymo teen accounts, it’s been a really great experience to give Mikaylee some autonomy and not make her be so dependent on family members to drive my teen around.”
For families like Crystal’s, having access to Waymo provides autonomy in a number of ways. Crystal lives with epilepsy, which means she cannot access a driver’s license to drive herself or her family where they need to go. Waymo has played a critical role in her family’s transportation needs for years, but this newfound freedom for her daughter has been a welcome change. Mikaylee shared, “It’s convenient because it allows me to ride to the places I want. Before, if I didn’t have a ride, I’d have to miss it.”
Beyond the FOMO, teens traveling independently can help alleviate some of the transportation burden that so often falls on busy parents. Phoenix parent Kseniya Schminke shared, “I’m a single mom—my husband passed away—so it’s all me. I think of Waymo as my partner to help get everyone where they need to go.”
Waymo teen accounts are initially only being offered to our riders in Metro Phoenix, but we intend to offer teen accounts in other cities in the future. If you’re interested in signing up your teen, visit waymo.com/teens to learn more.
