Law enforcement officials in San Bruno, California, confronted an uncommon predicament final weekend throughout a DUI enforcement operation after they stopped a driverless Waymo taxi for making an unlawful U-turn – solely to find they’d no authorized mechanism to difficulty a quotation.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning when the autonomous car carried out the unlawful maneuver “proper in entrance” of officers at a visitors gentle. Whereas the car pulled over instantly when officers activated their lights and siren, the state of affairs highlighted a major hole in present visitors enforcement protocols.
“Since there was no human driver, a ticket couldn’t be issued (our quotation books don’t have a field for ‘robotic’),” the San Bruno Police Division wrote in a Fb submit that has since generated greater than 500 feedback. “That’s proper … no driver, no arms, no clue.”
Officers have been capable of talk with Waymo representatives utilizing gear put in contained in the car and reported what they described as a “glitch” to the corporate.
San Bruno Sergeant Scott Smithmatungol explains that officers can solely ticket a human driver or operator for transferring violations, in contrast to parking tickets that may be left with the car. Nevertheless, regulatory frameworks are starting to meet up with autonomous car expertise.
A Waymo car in operation in LA in March 2025. Picture: AdobeStock
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws final 12 months that may permit cops to difficulty a “discover of noncompliance” when driverless automobiles break visitors legal guidelines. The regulation, which takes impact in July 2026, additionally requires autonomous car corporations to ascertain emergency telephone traces for first responders.
Beneath the brand new laws, first responders will be capable to order corporations to maneuver autonomous automobiles out of designated areas, with corporations having simply two minutes to direct their automobiles to go away or keep away from these zones. The regulation may also allow police to report transferring violations to the Division of Motor Automobiles, which is presently creating particular enforcement procedures and potential penalties.
The incident raises necessary questions for transportation authorities managing more and more automated roadways. Meeting member Phil Ting of San Francisco launched the laws following a number of incidents involving driverless automobiles, together with circumstances the place autonomous automobiles blocked visitors, dragged a pedestrian, interfered with firetrucks, and entered energetic crime scenes.
Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina said that the corporate’s autonomous driving system “is designed to respect the foundations of the highway” and is intently monitored by regulators. “We’re wanting into this case and are dedicated to bettering highway security by our ongoing learnings and expertise,” Ilina mentioned.
A Waymo driverless car working in Phoenix, Airzona. Picture: AdobeStock
The corporate, owned by Google’s dad or mum firm Alphabet, has operated autonomous automobiles in San Bruno since June. Waymo automobiles presently function in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco and surrounding areas.
Nevertheless, the corporate has confronted earlier security considerations. Earlier this 12 months, Waymo recalled greater than 1,200 automobiles resulting from a software program difficulty inflicting collisions with chains, gates, and different stationary roadway boundaries. The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration additionally accomplished an investigation earlier this 12 months after receiving 22 experiences of Waymo automobiles appearing erratically or probably violating visitors security legal guidelines.
“It blew up rather a lot greater than we thought,” Smithmatungol mentioned of the viral social media submit. “We’re not a big company like San Francisco.” The San Bruno Police Division, serving a neighborhood of roughly 40,000 residents with 50 sworn officers, discovered itself on the heart of a nationwide dialog about the way forward for visitors enforcement.
The incident underscores the necessity for transportation businesses worldwide to develop complete frameworks for managing, monitoring, and imposing visitors laws as autonomous automobiles grow to be more and more widespread on public roads.
