Police Pull Over Driverless Waymo Car for Illegal U-Turn: When Autonomous Vehicles Break Traffic Laws

Police officers in San Bruno, California, experienced an unusual situation during a routine DUI enforcement operation when they pulled over a vehicle for making an illegal U-turn at a traffic signal—only to discover there was no driver inside.

The San Bruno Police Department shared this surprising encounter on social media, stating: "That's right ... no driver, no hands, no clue." The vehicle turned out to be a Waymo autonomous car operating without human supervision.

After stopping the vehicle, officers contacted Waymo to report the apparent malfunction. Since no human was behind the wheel, they were unable to issue a citation. "Our citation books don't have a box for 'robot,'" the department remarked humorously.

The police noted that future legislation might eventually permit officers to issue notices directly to companies that operate autonomous vehicle fleets. While this marked the first such incident for the department, they affirmed their continued dedication to ensuring public safety, regardless of whether it involves human drivers or autonomous vehicles.

Waymo responded to the incident in a statement to CBS News Bay Area, with a spokesperson asserting that their autonomous system is "designed to respect the rules of the road." The company stated they are "looking into this situation" and continuing to refine their technology.

This isn't the first unusual incident involving Waymo's autonomous vehicles. In January, Los Angeles tech entrepreneur Mike Johns nearly missed his flight after becoming trapped in a self-driving Waymo car in Phoenix that began repeatedly circling a parking lot.

During this chaotic experience, Johns contacted Waymo's support team, expressing his confusion and concern: "I got my seat belt on. I can't get out of the car. Has this been hacked? What's going on?" His video of the incident, shared on LinkedIn, captured his frustration as the vehicle continued its circular pattern.

Following this disconcerting experience, Johns declared he would "keep it old-school" and prefer traditional taxis with human drivers for future transportation needs.