Waymo robotaxis stuck during San Francisco's July 4, worsening gridlock
Technology
Waymo's self-driving cars ran into big trouble during San Francisco's July 4 celebrations. With heavy traffic and road closures after the Golden Gate Bridge fireworks, some robotaxis got stuck for hours.
One even went viral driving through a box of fireworks as they erupted. A few cars needed towing, and stranded vehicles ended up making the city's gridlock even worse.
Waymo says batteries died during jam
A Waymo spokesperson said that the massive holiday jam left some cars so long in traffic their batteries died, but others managed to get going once things cleared up.
Waymo runs about 2,500 robotaxis across several US cities, all packed with high-tech sensors and cameras, but this holiday showed just how tough it is for autonomous vehicles to handle chaotic city events.