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3w ago

California Police Pull Over Driverless Waymo After Illegal U-Turn, Exposing Ticketing Gap

A new state law will let officers issue notices to autonomous vehicle companies starting in July 2026, leaving current moving violations without a standard citation path.

San Bruno police pulled over a driverless Waymo car this weekend, they said.
US police who pulled over a car that had done an illegal u-turn found there was no one in the driver's seat

Overview

  • During a DUI enforcement operation in San Bruno, officers stopped a Waymo that made an illegal U-turn near the Caltrain station, a first for the responding officers.
  • Police said they could not issue a moving-violation ticket because there was no human driver and current citation forms do not account for driverless cars.
  • The vehicle yielded to lights and siren, and officers reached a remote Waymo representative through the car’s two-way communication system.
  • Waymo said it is investigating and reiterated that its autonomous driving system is designed to follow traffic rules.
  • California’s AB 1777 will allow law enforcement to send notices of noncompliance to companies via the DMV beginning July 2026, as scrutiny of AV safety continues alongside Waymo’s Bay Area expansion and federal reviews.