It sounds like something only the San Francisco tech scene could dream up: A newborn\u2019s first-ever car ride takes place without a driver.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s precisely what happened Monday when a woman delivered her child in a Waymo autonomous vehicle while on her way to UC San Francisco Medical Center, hospital spokesperson Jess Berthold confirmed. <\/p>\n
While the mother was en route to the hospital, Waymo said its rider support team detected \u201cunusual activity\u201d inside the car, initiated a call to check on the passenger and contacted 911.<\/p>\n
The rider, baby and vehicle arrived safely at the hospital. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small, serving riders from just seconds old to many years young,\u201d the company said in a statement to The Times. \u201cWe wish the new family all the best, and we look forward to safely getting them where they\u2019re going through many of life\u2019s events.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Times was unable to reach the mother Wednesday. <\/p>\n
After drop-off, the vehicle was removed from service so it could be cleaned.<\/p>\n
Waymo confirmed this was not the first birth in one of its autonomous cars but did not provide further details. <\/p>\n
The company \u2014 a subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet Inc. \u2014 began operating its autonomous ride-hailing service to select riders as a research program on San Francisco\u2019s hilly streets in 2021, and opened service to all in 2024, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a bumpy road at times. Waymo vehicles have disturbed residents by honking at odd hours,<\/a> and the company drew headlines after one of its robotaxis struck and killed KitKat, a beloved San Francisco corner-store cat<\/a>, earlier this year. <\/p>\n The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recorded Waymo taxis as involved in at least 14 animal collisions since 2021<\/a>. <\/p>\n