First responders say Waymo robotaxis are causing delays in emergencies

In short: Emergency leaders in San Francisco and Austin told US safety regulators that Waymo’s driverless cars are sometimes getting stuck and slowing emergency response.

What's going on

Officials from San Francisco and Austin said in a private meeting with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, the US agency that oversees vehicle safety) that Waymo vehicles have been “freezing” during incidents. Freezing means the car stops and does not move, even when it is blocking traffic, like a computer that locks up and needs help.

San Francisco leaders said they are seeing “backsliding” after earlier improvements. The head of San Francisco’s Fire Department said Waymo vehicles are now frequently blocking fire station exits, which can delay fire trucks. Another city official said the vehicles are committing more traffic violations.

Austin police raised similar concerns. An Austin police leader said Waymo cars often do not respond to officers’ hand signals, despite what the company had told first responders. Austin officials also discussed a recent incident where a driverless vehicle blocked an ambulance for about two minutes, and they said it has sometimes taken longer to reach Waymo’s remote support staff.

Waymo said it values feedback from first responders and says it has trained more than 35,000 emergency responders. The complaints come as Waymo expands service and says it now provides about 500,000 paid rides per week.

What to watch

California’s DMV plans to implement new rules in July that require autonomous vehicle companies to respond to first responder calls within 30 seconds. The rules also let emergency officials tell companies to keep driverless cars out of specific areas, and require vehicles to leave within two minutes. If these rules work, they could reduce emergency delays. If problems continue, they could slow Waymo’s expansion and bring more scrutiny from regulators and city leaders.

Source: Wired