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2h ago

San Bruno Police Pull Over Driverless Waymo After Illegal U-Turn

Officers could not issue a moving-violation citation under current rules, with a new California law to cite companies not taking effect until next July.

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 late-night DUI enforcement operation, officers saw a Waymo make an illegal U-turn near San Bruno and Huntington avenues and initiated a stop.
  • When the robotaxi yielded on San Mateo Avenue, police used two-way audio to reach a remote Waymo representative inside the vehicle.
  • Police said no ticket could be issued because there was no driver and current citation forms do not allow citing a robotaxi for a moving violation.
  • A state law set to take effect next July will let officers issue notices of non-compliance to autonomous vehicle companies, which must report violations to the DMV within 72 hours.
  • Waymo said it is investigating the incident as experts note AVs remain fallible even as service expands in the Bay Area, including recent approval to operate at San Francisco International Airport.