Excruciating moment three self-driving taxis clog up street and stop moving after getting into AI standoff
THIS is the moment three Waymo self-driving taxis suddenly freeze in a bizarre San Francisco stand-off leaving locals baffled.
The incident happened on a dead-end, steep, residential road.
In the footage, one Waymo can be seen facing perpendicular to the road.
Another appears to have nudged the first car’s front bumper at roughly a 90-degree angle, suggesting a gentle collision.
The third vehicle was descending a steep hill and appears to have stopped to yield to the two climbing Waymos.
“Are they just going to stay there forever?” a man asks on the video, clearly frustrated.
A second clip posted online shows a Waymo employee arriving on the scene to respond to the standstill.
It’s been a rough week for the Google-owned company.
On Tuesday, Waymo issued a sweeping software recall over compliance issues with school bus stop signs.
And now this viral three-way standoff is piling on more headaches.
San Francisco has long been a testing ground for Waymo, with the city serving as a hub for its ride-sharing network.
But incidents like this highlight the quirks and challenges of autonomous vehicles navigating busy, narrow streets.
Waymo has previously chalked up these incidents as part of the learning curve for autonomous technology.
Earlier this year, the company hit a milestone of 100 million autonomous miles under its belt.
It currently operates in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta, with expansion plans for Detroit, New York City, and Miami.
A Waymo spokesperson told Road & Track that one of the vehicles was performing a multi-point turn when the minor contact occurred.
Both cars were unoccupied at the time, the spokesperson confirmed.
This isn’t Waymo’s first brush with unusual traffic situations.
Earlier this year, a tech prankster reportedly called 50 Waymos at once.
Another time, a Waymo drove through an active crime scene in Los Angeles.
Each event, the company says, is a learning experience aimed at improving road safety.
But things got even more dramatic in Los Angeles last week.
This is the moment a Waymo self-driving taxi drove straight through a police standoff.
Passengers were inside as the vehicle approached a street blocked by armed officers.
A man lay face down outside his vehicle as cops pointed guns, pursuing a high-risk felony suspect.
Cops shouted for the Waymo to move, but the robot taxi calmly made a left turn into the intersection.
Despite the flashing red and blue lights, the autonomous car made it safely past the scene.
“What the f*** is that Waymo doing?” people in a nearby car can be heard shouting.
A Waymo spokesperson told ABC News the taxi entered an area that was not blocked off, alongside other traffic.
The vehicle remained near the scene for “no more than 15 seconds,” the spokesperson said.
“Safety is our highest priority at Waymo, both for people who choose to ride with us and with whom we share the streets,” the company added.
They noted that unusual events like this help the firm continue improving operations in dynamic cities.
Police confirmed the incident did not impact LAPD tactics and said they maintain a 24/7 hotline to coordinate with Waymo.
Waymo launched its driverless taxi service in Los Angeles early last year, opening it to the public in November 2024.
California’s struggles with ticketing autonomous vehicles that break road rules have also come into focus recently.
A new law is being introduced to address these challenges.
Meanwhile, Waymo is preparing to bring its self-driving taxis to London next year, making the British capital the first European city to host the fleet.
Waymo vehicles have already become a common sight in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Tokyo.
Now the company hopes London’s streets will be next.
The San Francisco standoff is a reminder of the growing pains of autonomous technology.
Narrow streets, dead ends, and steep hills continue to test even the most advanced AI driving systems.