Familiarity Without Trust for Robotaxis

National tracking data shows Waymo’s brand awareness more than quadrupled (10%→45% from Jan 2024–Oct 2026) while its net Impression turned negative (≈-5) amid recalls and school‑bus incidents; consideration to ride rose modestly. This decoupling — more people knowing and considering a service but feeling worse about it — signals a different public-opinion dynamic than simple adoption curves. — If familiarity outpaces trust, companies and regulators face a harder political environment for scaling autonomous vehicles, because deployment may increase exposure without increasing social license.