Robotaxi technology has long been promoted as a path to safer roads, with developers arguing that autonomous vehicles reduce crash incidents. While some evidence supports that claim, newly surfaced data reveals a different toll: the workers testing these vehicles are getting hurt.
An analysis of records submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that test drivers for Waymo and Zoox sustained more than two dozen injuries across 2024 and 2025. The cause in many cases was hard braking or other abrupt movements executed by the self-driving vehicles. Some workers reported injuries such as whiplash after the vehicles stopped suddenly and forcefully, sidelining them for months at a time.
Why the Full Picture May Be Larger
An important caveat applies to these findings. The injuries documented are limited to Waymo and Zoox, but that does not mean other developers are free of similar problems. Test drivers at competing autonomous vehicle companies are likely experiencing comparable incidents. The difference is that some of those employers may be exempt from OSHA’s reporting requirements, leaving their safety data out of public records.
The reporting includes interviews with both former and current workers, offering firsthand accounts of what happens inside test vehicles when the technology behaves unexpectedly.
Gatik Raises EUR 172 Million to Scale Driverless Freight
Gatik, the autonomous vehicle startup known for its self-driving box trucks, has secured EUR 172 million in fresh funding. The round was led by the Qatar Investment Authority and Koch Disruptive Technologies, with participation from Millennium Management, ARK Invest, and Intact Private Capital. It marks the company’s largest capital raise to date.
Gatik emerged from stealth in 2019 during a period when many autonomous vehicle startups struggled to reach commercialization. The company has since moved from research and development into commercial operations, though at a smaller scale than traditional human-driven delivery firms. Its driverless box trucks transport freight from distribution centers to retail stores, including Walmart locations.
Alongside the funding, Gatik signed a multiyear commercial agreement with PepsiCo in June. That deal forms part of EUR 515 million in contracted revenue for the company.
Other Notable Funding Moves
Several other transportation and logistics deals drew attention. Airbound, an Indian startup building autonomous drones, raised EUR 32 million in a Series A round led by Greenoaks, with participation from DoorDash, Lachy Groom, Lightspeed, and Humba Ventures.
Mubadala Capital, the alternative asset management arm of Mubadala Investment Company, agreed to acquire a majority equity interest in Arrive Logistics, a truckload brokerage based in Austin, Texas.
Regent Craft, a Rhode Island startup developing and manufacturing electric seagliders, raised EUR 103 million in a Series B round co-led by Mare Liberum and AE Ventures.
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Image: techcrunch.com
