First Responders Say Waymo Robotaxis Are 'Backsliding' and Committing More Traffic Violations

Emergency first-responder leaders in San Francisco and Austin told federal regulators last month that Waymo robotaxis are "backsliding" and committing more traffic violations, according to an audio recording of the meeting obtained by WIRED. Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of San Francisco's Department of Emergency Management, told National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials that the vehicles are "committing more traffic violations" and regressing on behaviors that had previously improved. San Francisco Fire Chief Patrick Rabbitt said Waymos are now frequently blocking fire station access. "Their default is to freeze," he said, which can prevent firetrucks from responding in a timely manner. In Austin, Lieutenant William White of the police department's Highway Enforcement Command said the vehicles often fail to recognize officers' hand signals and freeze during emergencies, causing cascading delays. "I believe the technology was deployed too quickly in too vast amounts, with hundreds of vehicles, when it wasn't really ready," White said. The complaints coincide with Waymo's rapid expansion. The company now operates in parts of 10 U.S. cities and plans to launch in 10 more before year-end, including London. It reported providing 500,000 paid rides weekly, a tenfold increase from last year. Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina said the company values its partnership with first responders and has trained more than 35,000 emergency responders nationwide. California's Department of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday published new autonomous vehicle regulations that take effect in July, requiring companies to respond to first-responder calls within 30 seconds and to clear vehicles from emergency areas within two minutes.