Waymo's self-driving cars are driving more boldly, say SF residents
Waymo's self-driving cars in San Francisco are getting bolder on the roads—locals say they're now driving more like New York taxis than cautious robots.
This shift comes after concerns that the cars' passivity was disrupting traffic, and even led to one Waymo car being pulled over for an illegal U-turn in nearby San Bruno in September 2025.
Why the change—and what's next?
Waymo says it updated its driving style to handle heavy traffic better, with senior director Chris Ludwick explaining they've made their AVs "more assertive."
But not everyone is impressed: federal officials are now investigating several traffic violations by Waymo cars, including passing stopped school busses.
Despite this, Waymo highlights its 100 million driverless miles and a big drop in serious incidents compared to human drivers, and says it's planning to expand across the US by 2026.