Police in California grappled with an existential question as they attempted to fine a self-driving car caught performing an illegal U-turn in the middle of the street. Officers in San Bruno pulled over a vehicle during a DUI operation, only to discover it was an autonomous Waymo taxi, which are in use throughout the Bay Area. “Since there was no human driver, a ticket couldn’t be issued (our citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot’),” the force explained in a post on Facebook, adding that it had alerted Waymo of the glitch and that “hopefully the reprogramming will keep it from making any more illegal moves.” Waymo issued a statement confirming they were “looking into” the situation and are “committed to improving road safety through our ongoing learnings and experience,” The Guardian reports. Last year, California passed a bill that will allow police to issue a “notice of noncompliance” if a self-driving car breaks traffic rules, but the ruling does not take effect until July 2026. There are around 2,000 Google-owned Waymo taxis on the streets of San Francisco, although 1,200 had to be recalled last year due to software glitches that caused the cars to crash into chains, gates, and roadway barriers.
Read it at The Guardian
