A recent power outage in San Francisco caused significant traffic disruptions, with Waymo’s robotaxis stalling at intersections due to non-working traffic signals. The outage, triggered by a fire at a PG&E substation, left about one-third of the city without power on December 20. Waymo paused its operations during the incident and resumed them the next day. The event has sparked concerns about the readiness of autonomous vehicle companies, including Waymo, Tesla, and Amazon’s Zoox, to handle large emergencies like earthquakes and floods.
Experts are calling for stricter regulations in response to the incident. Philip Koopman, a professor of computer engineering, emphasized the importance of showing that autonomous systems can manage emergencies effectively. Waymo noted that their robotaxis are designed to treat non-operational traffic signals as four-way stops but faced delays in confirmation checks during the outage, leading to increased congestion on the streets.
Globally, robotaxi operators use human oversight, known as “teleoperation,” to monitor their vehicles. Waymo employs a team of “fleet response” agents to assist its cars when they encounter issues. However, experts like Missy Cummings urge for more regulation on remote operational support to ensure sufficient backup during emergencies. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Utilities Commission are investigating the incident and planning to set regulations for remote drivers to enhance safety and accountability.
The deployment of fully autonomous vehicles has proven more challenging than anticipated, with significant investments required for safety and public trust. Following a serious incident in 2023 involving a different robotaxi, regulators revoked permits leading to operational halts. Despite this, companies like Tesla continue to expand operations. Waymo, with over 2,500 vehicles, is refining its processes to better manage emergency responses, including improving navigation during power outages. Experts argue that more thorough permitting should be required as robotaxi fleets grow to ensure preparedness for large-scale emergencies.
With information from Reuters