Waymo Robotaxis Trigger Traffic Jam on San Francisco Street — Netizens Ask, 'How Are They Still in Business?'

A bizarre viral video has captured three Waymo robotaxis locked in an apparent 'standoff' on a quiet dead-end street in San Francisco's North Beach neighbourhood.

The TikTok clip shows two of the self-driving vehicles edging so close together that their front fenders appear to touch, while a third robotaxi approaching from the opposite direction comes to a sudden stop mid-street.

With hazard lights flashing, the autonomous cars remained immobile, gridlocked nose-to-nose as residents were left trapped, unable to exit their driveways while the machines sat frozen in place.

One resident, captured in the video, said: 'I just pulled out of the garage and I saw this going on. It's like the Waymo standoff. I'm just trying to get out of here.'

In a later clip, a worker wearing a safety vest is seen opening the driver's side door of the sideways-blocked Waymo. The vehicle subsequently backs up autonomously, enabling the first robotaxi to to drive uphill.

According to San Francisco Chronicle, Waymo representatives acknowledged that the two vehicles had bumped slightly while performing multi-point turns in the cul-de-sac. They called the incident a learning opportunity for self-driving cars as they continue to improve at handling tight or busy streets.

Social Media Mocking Waymo

The footage quickly spread online and viewers were quick to respond with a mix of disbelief and frustration.

'How is Waymo still in business?' one commenter asked bluntly, reflecting a sentiment echoed by many. One user also suggested that Waymo should be banned: 'If there was an emergency vehicle that needed to get through, people could lose their lives over these self driving cars being in the way.'

Another added: '32 cameras on each car and they still managed to hit each other. Also, shouldn't they immediately call for help instead of having a deadlock?' To this, the original poster replied that the cars were signalling for help but 'there must be some protocol when they hit each other that they couldn't override.'

Some commentators on social media shared their opinions with a hint of sarcasm. They pointed out that the company is backed by substantial resources who claim that its self-driving cars are statistically safer than human drivers on average.

One notable comment said: 'They pay the cities — it's amazing how laws can be bent as long as you have money.'

Who Owns Waymo?

Waymo began as a self-driving car project within Google but now operates as a subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet.

It runs a fleet of robotaxis equipped with an advanced automated driving system (ADS), promising driver‑free travel in cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and others across several states.

The company emphasises its impressive safety statistics. Internal data indicates that its ADS-operated vehicles experience significantly fewer serious injury incidents compared to those driven by humans, particularly over long distances.

Waymo Under Scrutiny

Contrary to data that says Waymo cars are safer, this North Beach standoff is just one of several issues affecting the company's recent performance.

In 2024, these robotaxis accumulated a staggering 589 citations for parking and traffic violations in San Francisco, resulting in fines exceeding $65,000 (£48,700). Many of these infractions were related to obstructing traffic or parking in prohibited areas.

Oversight bodies are even closely watching. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened investigations into a string of incidents, including solo-vehicle crashes, collisions with roadway barriers and even illegal manoeuvres.

Notably, one recent recall involved over 1,200 Waymo robotaxis due to software flaws that caused crashes into gates, chains and other fixed obstacles. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries in this case.

Critics warn that while Waymo's crash rates may be lower than average, the technology continues to struggle in complex urban situations, considering narrow streets, unpredictable traffic, or simple driveway exits.