Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Stops Kamala Harris Motorcade — Authorities Investigate Multiple Similar Events
A vehicle by Tesla Rival Waymo was involved in a traffic incident with Kamala Harris. | Credit: Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images.
Key Takeaways
- A Waymo robotaxi held up Kamala Harris’ motorcade on Friday.
- A police officer had to enter the vehicle and manually drive it out of the way.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom has just signed a new bill into law allowing police officers to issue self-diving vehicle companies with traffic tickets.
A Waymo driverless car was filmed holding up Kamala Harris’ motorcade in San Francisco after getting stuck in the middle of the road.
Local news reported that the incident on Friday evening was not the only one that impacted the motorcade. In fact, congestion caused by Waymo driverless cars is a regular occurrence in the city.
Harris Halted by Failed Waymo U-Turn
In a video posted by ABC7, a wayward Waymo is seen with its hazard lights on in the middle of the road, not moving. The robotaxi apparently got stuck midway through a U-turn. As the video shows, a police officer had to get in the vehicle to drive it out of the way.
However, according to one comment on the video, San Franciscans are used to Waymo holding up traffic, “especially [on] Friday and Saturday evenings.”
Why Self-Driving Cars Hold up Traffic
The AI that powers self-driving cars is programmed to only drive when certain safety parameters are fulfilled. However, when these requirements aren’t met, for example, if too many cars are nearby, the vehicle freezes.
While this approach is a prerequisite for safe autonomous driving, users have often complained of Waymos getting stuck at junctions and slowing their journeys.
Robotaxi Responsibility
With Waymo carrying out over 50,000 driverless rides each week and rivals Cruise and Tesla gearing to launch their own robotaxi offerings, incidents like Friday’s motorcade holdup raise the question of accountability.
In June, a Phoenix police officer was filmed pulling a Waymo over after it drove on the wrong side of the road. However, an investigation by Arizona Republic revealed that the officer was unable to issue a ticket.
Phoenix police officer pulls over a driverless Waymo car for driving on the wrong side of the road
byu/coroyo70 inAutonomousVehicles
Until now, self-driving cars have been exempt from tickets in San Francisco. But earlier this month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new autonomous vehicles bill into law that will grant law enforcement new powers to cite driverless car companies for traffic violations.
