Waymo Relies On Firefighters And Police To Bail Out Stuck Robotaxis
Waymo robotaxis keep stalling in emergencies, forcing police and firefighters to take the wheel. Here's what's really happening on the ground.
Matilda
Waymo Relies On Firefighters And Police To Bail Out Stuck Robotaxis
Waymo Robotaxis Stall in Emergencies — Who's Really Driving? When a Waymo robotaxi breaks down or gets stuck during an emergency, the company's own roadside team isn't always the one showing up. In several confirmed cases across the United States, police officers and firefighters have had to physically take control of autonomous vehicles — pulling them away from active crime scenes, wildfires, and mass shooting responses. This is the untold story behind Waymo's expanding self-driving network. A Wildfire, a Stuck Robotaxi, and a 911 Call Last August, a grass fire tore through California's I-280 near Redwood City. As flames scorched both sides of the freeway, officers rerouted traffic in the opposite direction. A Waymo robotaxi, caught in the chaos, attempted to navigate the shoulder — then simply stopped. It wouldn't move. Waymo's remote assistance team couldn't resolve the situation remotely. So the company did something that raised eyebrows: it called 911 …
