Police stopped a Waymo self-driving car for an illegal U-turn: why they couldn't issue a ticket

A Unique Situation in California

In San Bruno, California, police pulled over a Waymo self-driving car for a traffic violation—an illegal U-turn. The incident caused a stir because there was no driver inside the vehicle, leaving law enforcement officials facing a legal impasse.

Why the ticket could not be issued

Under current California law, police officers are not authorized to issue tickets to self-driving cars. Penalties can only be imposed on a driver, and in this case, there simply wasn’t one. Therefore, the officers simply forwarded the incident details to Waymo’s operations center so the software error could be corrected.

The police noted with a touch of irony:
“No driver, no hands, no way to issue a ticket. There’s no ‘robot’ category in our reports.”

What Will Change After 2026

The situation will change in July 2026, when new regulations take effect. At that time, traffic violation fines will be issued not to drivers, but to the companies operating autonomous vehicles.

The Scale of the Problem in the U.S.

Incidents involving autonomous vehicles are becoming increasingly common. In San Francisco, Waymo vehicles have already racked up more than $65,000 in fines, and federal regulators are investigating numerous complaints.

The Future of Self-Driving Cars

The San Bruno Police Department emphasized that its mission remains the same—ensuring road safety, regardless of whether a human or artificial intelligence is driving the vehicle.

Experts note that autonomous vehicles have the potential to reduce the number of traffic accidents, but for now, they pose new challenges for law enforcement and the legal system. Manufacturers, including Waymo, must take into account not only technical aspects but also legal regulations to ensure that the integration of autonomous vehicles into the urban environment is safe.

📌 Stay up to date on the latest automotive news at bex-auto.com