News

Lyft Teams Up With Google And Their New Driving Service Is So, So Futuristic

Getty Images

The Uber-Lyft rivalry seems to be alive and well.

Last week, Uber revealed it is rolling out a new feature on its app that allows people to save their frequently visited addresses. It's pretty convenient, and I'd go as far as saying it's even necessary for those who are super forgetful.

However, Lyft took things up a notch and announced its partnership with Google's Waymo to bring self-driving cars to its service.

Lyft

According to a statement, a Lyft spokeswoman said,

Waymo holds today's best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world's best transportation.

I think it's your move, Uber.

This could change so much for the car service industry and who it employs... or, in this case, doesn't employ.

About a year ago, Lyft co-founder John Zimmer revealed his ambitious plans hoping the majority of Lyft vehicles would be autonomous within five years.

Perhaps this is the way to go for the future — just take a look at one dad's heartbreak he suffered at the hands of a driver.

Ben Lieberman, who lost his 19-year-old son in an accident on a New York City highway, tried for months to get access to the records showing that the driver had been texting while driving.

Rather than grieve and concern himself with his family, the father created a proposal for the breathalyzer for texting, which would "allow police at accident scenes in New York to immediately examine drivers' cellphones with a device to determine if they'd been tapping, swiping or clicking," according to The Washington Post.

Provided the cars are manufactured properly and safely, Lyft's new plan could be the answer to safer roads.

Uber, however, who has also tried autonomous vehicles, experienced some serious setbacks, to say the least.

According to further claims by Lyft, the company's "vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo's self-driving technology reach more people, in more places."

Let's hope the increase in accessibility will come with added safety perks.

Citations: New York eyes 'textalyzer' to combat distracted driving (The Washington Post), Lyft teams with Google's Waymo for self-driving cars (Mashable), Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars (New York Times)