Safety from all angles: Waymo patents pedestrian protection tech

Waymo is tackling road safety from a number of angles, and applying its usual innovation and ingenuity to all of them. The former Google self-driving car project initially attracted headlines for its potential to disrupt the traditional transportation business model. Not only did it originally envision doing away with the need for human drivers but it also took away the potential for humans to drive even if they wanted to - the first Waymo vehicles featured no steering wheels or brake pedals.

Safety doesn't just come from automated driving. It also comes from the vehicle structure itself.