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A Waymo robotaxi was pulled over by a Phoenix police officer after it ran a red light and entered a lane of oncoming traffic.
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The self-driving car was unable to be issued a citation as there was no human driver.
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Waymo attributed the incident to inconsistent construction signage and has recalled software twice this year after crashes.
A Waymo robotaxi was pulled over by a Phoenix police officer on June 19 after it was observed running a red light and entering a lane of oncoming traffic. Bodycam footage of the incident shows the self-driving car weaving in traffic before pulling over into a parking lot. The officer was unable to issue a citation as there was no human driver in the vehicle.
According to Waymo, the vehicle encountered inconsistent construction signage, which caused it to briefly enter the wrong lane. The incident lasted approximately one minute, and there were no riders in the vehicle at the time. This is not the first incident involving Waymo’s self-driving cars, with the company voluntarily recalling software twice this year after crashes.
The safety of Waymo’s software is currently under investigation by federal regulators. The company has been testing its robotaxi service in Phoenix since 2020, with the goal of eventually expanding to other cities. While self-driving cars have the potential to improve road safety, incidents like this highlight the need for continued testing and refinement of the technology.
