Police stopped a driverless car for an illegal U-turn, but failed to issue a ticket (2 photos)

Unexpected stop of a drone

San Bruno police stopped a Waymo vehicle during a patrol to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol for an illegal U-turn. Interestingly, there was no driver in the car, which made the situation unique for law enforcement.

Legal restrictions

Under current California law, police officers do not have the right to issue fines for violations of traffic rules to driverless vehicles. The officers simply reported the incident to Waymo’s operations team so the company could fix a software bug.

“No driver, no hands, no imagination. There’s no ‘robot’ in our ticket books,” police officials quipped on social media.

Upcoming changes

That will change in July 2026, when new rules go into effect in California. They will allow police to issue tickets to companies operating autonomous vehicles, rather than individual drivers.



Broader context

Such cases are not isolated. For example, in San Francisco, Waymo cars have already received fines totaling more than $65,000. Federal regulators are already investigating numerous complaints about traffic violations by autonomous vehicles.

The prospects for driverless transportation

San Bruno police emphasized that their mission remains the same regardless of the type of vehicle. They continue to work to ensure safety on the city's roads. Autonomous driving technology is rapidly evolving, but accountability mechanisms for violations need to be improved.

Photo: San Bruno Police

The incident demonstrates how the legal system is struggling to keep up with technological advances. While autonomous vehicles promise to reduce the number of accidents, they still pose new challenges for law enforcement. Companies developing such systems must consider not only the technical aspects, but also the legal regulations of different jurisdictions.