Waymo's Autonomous Vehicles Face Challenges in San Francisco
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Waymo's driverless vehicles encountered a significant safety challenge in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, October 15, 2023. Passengers in a Waymo robotaxi experienced a tense situation as their vehicle inadvertently drove just feet away from an active police stop.
Video captured by onlookers shows the vehicle making a left turn onto a street where a white pickup truck was pulled over by multiple police cruisers with their lights flashing. At that moment, the suspected driver of the pickup was lying face down on the ground.
Police officers were heard yelling at the vehicle to move away from the scene, but instead, the Waymo vehicle slowed down and appeared to signal a right turn. Officers shouted instructions like, "Go to your left! Go to your left!" while the man on the ground looked up in confusion.
This incident lasted approximately 15 seconds and ended without any injuries. A Waymo spokesperson stated, "Safety is our highest priority at Waymo, both for people who choose to ride with us and with whom we share the streets." They emphasized that the company learns from unusual events like this to continue improving road safety in dynamic urban environments.
Waymo, owned by Alphabet, operates in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, and Phoenix. In July 2023, the company reported surpassing 100 million miles driven without a human operator and without any fatalities.
However, several incidents have raised public concerns since the company opened its service to the public in November 2024. In June, five Waymo vehicles were set ablaze by anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles.
In July, a cyber-prankster sent 50 Waymo vehicles down a dead-end street in San Francisco, and in September, a Waymo vehicle made an illegal turn in front of police during a DUI operation in San Bruno.
Police were unable to ticket the vehicle due to the absence of a driver. Waymo responded to the incidents by pledging to fix the issues. Additionally, in November 2023, Waymo announced plans to begin offering rides on freeways, expanding their robotaxi services beyond city streets.