Three Waymos froze when they came at each other from different directions in a busy residential street in the latest in a series of incidents involving the robot taxis
Three Waymo self-driving taxis came to a sudden halt in a busy street, jamming the road and leaving motorists frustrated. Pictures of the AI stand-off show the frozen cars facing each other from three directions in a residential street.
One Waymo can be seen facing perpendicular to the road, while another appears to have nudged its bumper, causing them to stop. A third car was descending down the road – a steep cul-de-sac – and appears to have halted to allow the two other Waymos to pass in the opposite direction.
In footage shared online, a Waymo employee then arrives at the scene to respond to the situation. A spokesperson for Google-owned Waymo told Road & Track one of the cars was performing a multi-point turn when the gentle contact occurred. The spokesperson said neither car was occupied.
The stand-off happened in San Francisco, where Google-owned company Waymo has been piloting the driverless taxis. It is the latest in a series of incidents involving the robot taxis, which are set to be rolled out in the UK in the near future.
On Tuesday, Waymo issued a software recall over compliance issues with school bus stop signs, reports The Sun. Meanwhile last week, one of its taxis drove through a police stand-off in Los Angeles.
Passengers were said to be inside as the car approached a street blocked by armed cops, with the street lit by flashing red and blue lights. A man lay face down outside his vehicle as officers pointed guns. Police shouted for the Waymo to move, but the robot taxi nonchalantly continued to turn into the intersection before making its way safely past the crime scene.
A Waymo spokesperson told ABC News the taxi entered an area that was not blocked off, alongside other traffic, and 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 Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the incident did not impact on police operations, and stated that it has a 24/7 hotline to coordinate with Waymo.
In another incident earlier this year, a prankster is reported to have called 50 Waymos at the same time.
The company has previously said that incidents such as these help it to improve its operations and safety processes.
Waymo launched its driverless taxi service in Los Angeles early last year, and is currently operating in Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin, and Atlanta, with plans to expand into Detroit, New York City, and Miami.
The UK is believed to be next on Waymo’s list, with London set to be the first European city to operate the driverless taxis – although but legal experts have warned that existing legislation is at odds with the technology.
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