Waymo's driverless cars froze all over SF during the blackout

When a third of San Francisco lost power on Saturday, the city's fleet of autonomous Waymo vehicles apparently didn't know what to do. Videos posted across social media showed the driverless cars frozen at intersections with dead traffic lights, long lines of human drivers stuck behind them.

According to Mission Local, Waymo suspended service across San Francisco after the rolling PG&E blackouts hit some 125,000 homes and businesses. "We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage," a company spokesperson said. "We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need."

The clear access came too late. Social media filled with videos of confused Waymos blocking roads. One user posted footage captioned "Power outage took out the waymos RIP." Another showed "Dead waymos all over SF blocking roads due to power outage" with laughing emojis.

Groups of two, three, and as many as five Waymos sat stuck at different corners across the city, blinking red lights in the rain. Human drivers navigated around them. One user noted: "6 Waymo's parked at a broken traffic light blocking the roads. Seems like they were not trained for a power outage."

The autonomous vehicles apparently couldn't handle the ambiguity of intersections without functioning traffic signals, a situation human drivers manage by treating them as four-way stops. One observer speculated that spotty cellular service during the outage might have also prevented remote operators from taking control.

Previously:
• Waymo autonomous vehicle involved in fatal accident in Tempe, Arizona
• Waymo drives straight into active police scene, ignores chaos
• When Waymo kills someone, it'll be ok
• Arizona: People are violently attacking driverless cars from Google/Alphabet's Waymo
• San Francisco sues the California Public Utilities Commission over its decision to allow the expansion of Waymo autonomous vehicles
• Waymo refuses to let a man catch a flight