Waymo robotaxis got stuck during San Francisco blackout
When a huge power outage hit San Francisco on December 20, 2025, Waymo's self-driving taxis ran into trouble.
With traffic lights out across a third of the city, these cars got stuck at dark intersections, hazard lights flashing—and ended up blocking roads.
Videos and posts showed robotaxis stalled at intersections with hazard lights flashing.
Why does this matter?
This blackout turned into a real-life test for driverless tech. Waymo's cars had to ask human agents for remote help so often that it slowed everything down even more.
The company is now updating its software to handle blackouts better, but regulators and experts are pushing for stricter rules and emergency plans before more robotaxis hit the streets.
After a brief pause, Waymo is back on the road—but this glitch shows there's still work to do before cities can fully trust autonomous rides.