Waymo Robotaxi Pulled Over by Phoenix Police For Driving Into Traffic

Alphabet's Waymo robotaxi was recently subjected to a traffic stop by a Phoenix police officer after violating laws while driving toward oncoming traffic.

However, that is when the real problem started. The police officer did not find anyone in Waymo's Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicle, which was driverless. Body cam footage shows the confusing interaction between the car and the officer.

Waymo's Robotaxi Pulled Over by Phoenix Police for Driving Into Traffic

A new bodycam footage from a Phoenix, Arizona, police officer has made its rounds on Facebook this week. It shows a humorous interaction between a Waymo robotaxi and the peace officer. The footage shows that the police pulled over a Waymo Jaguar I-PACE for a traffic violation on June 19 near 7th Avenue and Osborn Road.

The Waymo driverless car was pulled over for driving into an opposing lane with oncoming traffic, with the autonomous driving system also beating the red light.

It was revealed that the reason for driving into opposing traffic was that the Waymo car saw "inconsistent construction signage" on the road, which prompted it to counterflow.

No Violations, Citations Were Written as it Did Not Have Any Driver

Waymo's robotaxi in the incident was also unable to get back to the right lane as it was blocked, and this was also the time the police pulled it over. It later found the next available parking lot to pull over so as not to cause further obstruction.

The police officer let the robotaxi go as they were "UNABLE TO ISSUE CITATION TO COMPUTER," about the driverless car, according to the post (via CarScoops).

Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis in the Face of the Law

Autonomous driving cars and robotaxis have faced the strict face of the law since they were applied for deployment in different cities and states, and it has seen its fair share of run-ins with regulators in the past. Waymo previously faced a setback in its California operations as its robotaxi services were suspended by regulators after safety concerns were raised against it.

It also faced massive heat in San Fransisco, showing how many people disapproved of its operations, as it was recently vandalized in the streets as it drove through a parade. This happened during the Lunar New Year 2024 celebration when unknown assailants attacked the driverless vehicle and were later set on fire, leaving it destroyed and unusable.

A video that trended online showed a police officer trying to stop a driverless vehicle, and its passengers shouted that it was not possible because it was a robotaxi. That situation happened again, but this time, the driverless car obeyed the traffic stop, but the Phoenix police officer was not able to charge the violation after finding no one in the driver's seat.