Although companies like to boast and say that their self-driving cars are much safer than humans, various incidents that have occurred so far have caused doubts about those bold claims. In Austin, Texas, a Waymo car was recorded blocking the road as emergency and first responder vehicles attempted to pass. To make matters worse, these first responders were trying to get to a bar on West Sixth Street where a horrific shooting occurred.
The Waymo vehicle was there because it had been ordered by a resident named Matthew Turnage, who used Uber. He said the car seemed to be stuck while attempting to pick them up. It was at that moment that emergency vehicles tried to pass along that specific Texas road. In the video shared on Reddit, you could clearly see the white Waymo car completely blocking the street, as if unsure where to go. One observer even verbally urged the car to move, but it continued to remain in place.
A police car soon arrived and stopped right behind the Waymo vehicle. An officer stepped out and appeared to check the car. Perhaps the Texas police officer initially thought there was actually a driver inside before discovering that it was a self-driving car. The police then attempted to control the vehicle by entering the driver’s seat. It did not seem to work, as the officers soon exited the car.
The video ended with the Waymo vehicle still stuck in the middle of the Texas street. Local news station KXAN has tried to reach out to Waymo regarding this incident in Texas, though the company has yet to release an official response.
Online, many Redditors expressed frustration after watching the video. Some users questioned why the Texas police officers did not simply forcefully move the Waymo car out of the way. “Why didn’t the cops ram it out of the way?” one Redditor asked.
One paramedic commented on the Reddit post, addressing people who criticized paramedics and police for not removing the Waymo vehicle. “I’m a paramedic. We will NOT attempt to move or hit a vehicle, person, or object to go to a call or transport a patient. Especially if there’s an option for an alternate route,” the user wrote.
Others wondered whether Waymo would face consequences for allegedly impeding emergency and first responders during this Texas incident. Many doubted it, as critics claimed there has been a lack of accountability among technology companies. A handful of users also remarked that the incident made them question whether Waymo vehicles are as safe as the company claims. “This makes me think that these autonomous cars could be hacked to create roadblocks during some kind of organized attack,” one Redditor wrote.
