Waymo autonomous car pulled over for illegal U-turn in San Bruno
A Waymo autonomous vehicle performed an illegal U-turn in front of police in San Bruno, California during a DUI enforcement operation, but officers could not issue a citation because no driver was present and California lacks legal provisions for ticketing driverless vehicles. The incident revealed a regulatory gap in traffic enforcement for autonomous vehicles.
What happened
During a DUI enforcement operation in San Bruno, California, police officers observed a Waymo autonomous vehicle make an illegal U-turn at a traffic light.
Officers pulled over the vehicle and discovered it had no driver. Police contacted Waymo, which was operating the vehicle.
Reported impact
Officers could not issue a citation because there was no driver and California state law does not yet permit citations for autonomous vehicles.
Police noted their citation books had no provision for ticketing a robot and described the situation as a first time for law enforcement.
Index analysis
The incident exposed a legal gap in traffic enforcement for autonomous vehicles operating without a driver present.
Waymo stated its autonomous driving system was designed to respect traffic laws and said it was investigating the incident, with hopes that reprogramming would prevent future illegal moves.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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