Waymos Cause Traffic Jams Across City During Power Outage

"On Saturday evening, a blackout left nearly a third of San Francisco in the dark. But its most visible casualties were Waymo robocabs, which were left stranded on the city streets like large toys inconveniently discarded by a child. Footage shared online shows numerous Waymos stalled in the middle of busy roads, blocking human motorists. Often, the self-driving cabs were gaggled together, serving to unintentionally cordon off city blocks, their emergency lights blinking in unison."

""Somebody's gonna set this thing on fire if it doesn't move soon," a pedestrian observed, as motorists honked their horns in vain at a frozen Waymo. In short, it was a PR disaster. With its cabs going on strike of their own accord, Waymo simply made it official and suspended ride-hailing services that evening following the power outage. It's now resumed rides as of Sunday afternoon."

"It was an edge case to be sure, but the episode will put a dent in Waymo's image, and perhaps robotaxis at large. Though Waymo reports a stellar safety record, the cabs remain controversial with locals due to the disruptions they cause, a sentiment that has reached a boiling point over incidents such as when a Waymo struck and killed a beloved San Francisco bodega cat."

An evening power outage left nearly a third of San Francisco without electricity and caused multiple Waymo robotaxis to stall across busy streets. Stalled vehicles blocked human motorists, often clustering together and forming unintentional cordons with emergency lights flashing. The company suspended ride-hailing service during the outage and resumed rides the following afternoon. A Waymo spokesperson described the outage as a widespread event that caused gridlock and traffic-signal failures and stated a commitment to adjusting technology to traffic flow during such events. The episode damaged public perception of robotaxis, amplified existing local controversy, and recalled prior incidents including a Waymo striking and killing a bodega cat.

Read at Futurism