Waymo Robotaxi Stopped by Phoenix Police for Driving in Wrong Lane

A police officer pulled over a self-driving Waymo vehicle in Phoenix after it ran a red light and entered oncoming traffic, as revealed in dispatch records.

The incident occurred on June 19, but local media outlets, including the Arizona Republic, released bodycam footage of the traffic stop this week. The video shows the vehicle weaving through traffic before finally navigating into a parking lot. Viewers can also see the officer’s perspective as he approaches the empty vehicle.

According to the all-caps dispatch records, the vehicle "FREAKED OUT," and the officer ultimately was "UNABLE TO ISSUE CITATION TO COMPUTER," as reported by the Arizona Republic.

A Waymo spokesperson explained that the vehicle "encountered inconsistent construction signage" and "briefly entered an unoccupied oncoming lane of traffic." It remained in that lane for approximately 30 seconds after being blocked from returning to the correct lane. “The entire event lasted about one minute, and there were no passengers in the vehicle,” the spokesperson added.

Waymo, the robotaxi service owned by Alphabet, has voluntarily recalled its software twice this year following accidents. Additionally, the safety of its software is currently being examined by federal regulators.

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