Police Stopped A Driverless Vehicle For Making An Illegal U-Turn But Were Unable To Issue A Ticket | Carscoops

      A Waymo self-driving Jaguar was stopped during a DUI enforcement operation, but current laws prevented officers from issuing a citation.

      14 hours ago

      by Stephen Rivers

      San Bruno police halted a Waymo vehicle after it made an illegal U-turn while they were on DUI patrol.

      Presently, California law prohibits officers from issuing tickets to driverless vehicles.

      New regulations starting in July 2026 will enable police to ticket autonomous vehicle companies.

      When police establish a DUI checkpoint, they must be prepared for almost anything. Among those who may be under the influence, they might encounter individuals with outstanding warrants or those carrying illegal items. However, they likely do not anticipate stopping a car without a driver. Yet, that is what happened in California last Friday night.

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      As reported by the San Bruno Police Department, officers involved in a grant-funded DUI enforcement operation observed a white Waymo Jaguar I-Pace perform an illegal U-turn near the city's Caltrain station. After witnessing this, officers pulled the car over and, as expected, discovered no one in the driver's seat.

      An Empty Front Seat

      The department took to social media with a touch of humor, stating, “No driver, no hands, no clue. Our citation books don’t have a box for ‘robot.’” In this situation, it's law enforcement that finds itself at a standstill.

      California law currently prohibits issuing moving violation tickets to autonomous vehicles, so the officers were unable to write a citation. However, they did contact Waymo's operations team to report the incident. Ideally, the team will be able to update the vehicle's system to prevent future illegal U-turns in that location.

      For now, Waymo avoided a fine, but this incident underscores a broader issue that has been previously noted. As driverless vehicles become increasingly prevalent on public roads, law enforcement will need a strategy for addressing infractions when they occur.

      Tickets Without Drivers

      This issue isn't limited to San Bruno. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that in San Francisco, Waymo vehicles have already accumulated over $65,000 in fines. Currently, federal regulators are examining reports of autonomous vehicles violating traffic laws.

      San Bruno officers affirm that their mission remains unchanged: “Whether it’s drivers, passengers, or even driverless cars,” the department stated, “we’ll continue to do our part to keep San Bruno’s streets safe.”