San Bruno police officers were left in a quandary after stopping a driverless Waymo vehicle for making an illegal U-turn during a DUI enforcement operation. The autonomous car, part of the ride-hailing fleet operating in the San Francisco Bay Area, was found to have no human driver behind the wheel, making it impossible to issue a traditional citation.
In a social media post, the San Bruno Police Department noted that 'our citation books don’t have a box for “robot”' and clarified that no ticket was issued. The department has since notified Waymo of the traffic violation, expressing hope that reprogramming would prevent future infractions.
Waymo acknowledged the incident, stating that its autonomous driving system 'is designed to respect the rules of the road'. The company said it is investigating the situation and remains committed to improving road safety.
Current California law does not permit police to ticket driverless vehicles, but this is set to change. Last year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation allowing officers to issue a 'notice of noncompliance' to autonomous vehicle operators, effective July 2026. The law also mandates that companies provide an emergency phone line for first responders.
Assemblymember Phil Ting introduced the bill following several high-profile incidents involving driverless cars, including blocking traffic, dragging a pedestrian, and interfering with emergency services. Under the new rules, first responders can order companies to move autonomous vehicles out of an area within two minutes.
The San Bruno police have emphasised that forthcoming legislation will enable them to issue notices to companies for such violations, clarifying that leniency was not the motive in this case.
