"Move the Car Quickly!" Shouts Were in Vain... Robotaxi Blocks Ambulance at Shooting Scene

Stopped in the Middle of the Road While Attempting a U-Turn
Ambulance Forced to Take an Alternate Route
Nineteen School Bus Violations in Texas Alone
Incidents Recur Even After Software Update

In the United States, controversy is growing over the safety and responsiveness of autonomous vehicles after Google's self-driving robotaxi, Waymo, blocked the passage of an ambulance on an emergency call. Recently, incidents involving violations of school bus-related laws and pedestrian collisions have also occurred in succession, prompting U.S. transportation authorities to expand their investigations.

A Waymo autonomous robot taxi blocking an ambulance in the middle of the road. Screenshot from SNS

On March 5, Yonhap News TV, citing FOX7 Austin and other local media, reported that on March 1 in Austin, Texas, an ambulance responding to a shooting scene was delayed by a Waymo autonomous taxi. At that time, a shooting had occurred, and the ambulance was making an emergency run to transport the injured. A video released on social media showed the Waymo vehicle stopped on a road near the scene.

According to Waymo, the vehicle recognized the ambulance and attempted to make a U-turn to clear the way. However, the car was unable to reposition itself in the middle of the road and came to a stop, blocking the ambulance's entry. Bystanders urged the driverless vehicle to "hurry up," but the car did not move. Eventually, a police officer took the wheel and moved the vehicle, resolving the situation. In the meantime, the ambulance had to reverse and find an alternate route.

In the United States, Google's autonomous robot taxi, Waymo, blocked the passage of an ambulance responding to an emergency. Screenshot from social media

Emergency authorities expressed concern that such situations could impact rescue operations. In contrast, Waymo explained, "The situation was resolved quickly without significant impact on the patient rescue," and added, "The autonomous driving system is being trained for these kinds of emergencies." The shooting that occurred on the same day reportedly resulted in three deaths, including the shooter, and 14 injuries.

This is not the first time a Waymo vehicle has been at the center of controversy. Previously, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it was investigating an incident in which a Waymo vehicle illegally passed a stopped school bus in Austin, Texas, around January. In addition, Waymo was cited for at least 19 illegal passing or overtaking incidents involving school buses in Texas last year. As a result, the company updated the relevant vehicle software and issued a recall in December of last year. However, since similar violations have occurred even after the recall, the NTSB plans to issue safety recommendations to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.