Waymo Robotaxis Drive Into Lit Fireworks

San Francisco's fireworks and post-fireworks traffic caused quite an issue for Waymo this Fourth of July. A string of robotaxis were left powerless in the gridlock and had to be towed away, NBC News reports, citing verified video of at least a dozen idle Waymo vehicles, many Jaguar I-PACEs, lined up after the city's Golden Gate Bridge fireworks show. Some were later hauled off on flatbeds after their batteries ran down. Waymo blamed "major traffic disruptions, a high volume of travelers, and unplanned road closures" for the jam. The office of Mayor Daniel Lurie noted there were "more than 100,000 people in the area" at the time, per CBS News.

Waymo is also facing safety questions after two of its driverless vehicles apparently drove over fireworks in the street. Waymo said an unoccupied vehicle passed over a small firework and caught fire before local authorities extinguished the flames and removed the car from the road, per CBS. Separately, a Waymo passenger recorded video of their taxi driving over a bursting firework positioned at an intersection, per KRON. "Oh no, no, no," a voice says, before asking, "Are we on fire?" Waymo said there were no injuries or damage to the vehicle in that incident. The company said it will evaluate what happened as it studies how to prevent such issues in the future.