A Waymo driverless taxi caused a traffic jam on a busy road in Austin, Texas, after struggling to navigate a puddle, just months before the company's planned launch in London.
Incident in Austin
Footage from local outlet Fox 7 Austin showed the autonomous cab halted on a two-lane boulevard while other vehicles easily passed through the water. Another video from KXAN captured two Waymo cars driving into a larger puddle and stopping, forcing other drivers to go around them.
Waymo's UK Expansion
Waymo, owned by Google's parent Alphabet, operates around 1,500 self-driving cars in five US cities. Last November, the company announced its expansion to London, with the first driverless rides expected in September. Waymo CEO Tekedra Mawakana stated, "Waymo is making roads safer and transportation more accessible where we operate." UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander welcomed the move, saying it would "increase accessible transport options alongside bringing jobs, investment, and opportunities."
Rising Accidents
The incident follows thousands of other accidents involving autonomous vehicles in the US, including dozens of fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has logged over 5,000 autonomous vehicle accidents, with more than 50 collision reports in California alone since the start of the year. A 2025 report from IDTechEx warned that regulatory challenges and technical difficulties remain, stating, "Robotaxis are still in an extremely nascent stage. As companies look to scale up to tens of thousands to potentially millions, any small error or delay could prove extremely dangerous."
The Independent has contacted Waymo for comment on the latest incident.
