A significant power failure plunged parts of San Francisco into darkness and chaos on Saturday, 21st December 2025, crippling traffic systems and leaving a fleet of self-driving taxis immobilised in the streets.
City Centre Brought to a Standstill
The outage, which struck in the afternoon, affected a wide swathe of the city's downtown core. Traffic lights failed at numerous key intersections, leading to severe gridlock as drivers navigated the suddenly unregulated junctions. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency confirmed the widespread disruption to its traffic signal network.
Compounding the traffic nightmare, dozens of autonomous vehicles operated by Waymo were caught out by the blackout. These driverless taxis, which rely on a constant stream of data and connectivity, defaulted to a safe stop mode when they lost communication. This left the vehicles stationary in travel lanes, further obstructing the already snarled traffic flow.
Passengers Trapped in Driverless Cars
The situation created alarming scenarios for passengers inside the affected Waymo cars. Riders reported being stranded inside the immobilised vehicles for extended periods, unable to exit until a remote operator could safely grant permission or until a human roadside assistance team arrived.
One passenger recounted being stuck for over 20 minutes on a busy street. "The car just stopped and said it was encountering a problem," they explained. "All the doors were locked, and I had no control. It was quite unsettling, especially with the traffic piling up around me." A spokesperson for Waymo stated that safety protocols are designed to engage during such unforeseen events, but acknowledged the inconvenience caused to riders and the city.
Questions Over Infrastructure and Future Tech
The incident has sparked a fresh debate about the resilience of urban infrastructure and the integration of advanced technology into city ecosystems. Critics argue that the event exposes a critical vulnerability in relying on technology that can be disabled by a simple power cut.
"This is a stark reminder that our cities need robust, fail-safe systems," said one urban planning expert. "When a single point of failure can bring traffic to a halt and strand people in their vehicles, we have to re-evaluate our preparedness." The power company, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), is investigating the root cause of the blackout.
For San Francisco, a city at the forefront of adopting autonomous vehicle technology, the event serves as a real-world stress test. It highlights the complex challenges of merging a futuristic transport vision with the sometimes fragile reality of ageing urban grids. The coming days will likely see increased scrutiny from city officials on the contingency plans of companies like Waymo when basic utilities fail.
