Waymo robotaxi pulled over by Phoenix police after driving into the wrong lane
How did the Waymo vehicle end up in oncoming traffic?
The Waymo vehicle ended up in oncoming traffic due to encountering inconsistent construction signage, causing it to briefly enter an unoccupied oncoming lane. It was blocked from navigating back to the correct lane for about 30 seconds, during which the traffic incident occurred.
What did the bodycam footage reveal about the incident?
The bodycam footage revealed that the Waymo vehicle ran a red light, pulled into a lane of oncoming traffic, and weaved in traffic before eventually pulling over into a parking lot. The officer approached the empty car and was unable to issue a citation to the computer. Waymo explained that the vehicle encountered inconsistent construction signage and briefly entered the unoccupied oncoming lane due to being blocked from navigating back to the correct lane.
Why was the police officer unable to issue a citation?
The police officer was unable to issue a citation because the vehicle was a self-driving Waymo car, and there was no human driver to issue the citation to. The officer's bodycam footage showed an empty car, and the dispatch records stated that the officer was "UNABLE TO ISSUE CITATION TO COMPUTER."