Self-driving cars are supposed to represent the pinnacle of futuristic convenience, whisking us away to our destinations without the stress of navigating traffic. However, the reality of autonomous driving can sometimes be much more terrifying than relaxing. That was certainly the case for two sisters who recently found themselves trapped inside a malfunctioning robotaxi in the middle of a busy street in Arizona.
For Virginia residents Josie Kaufman and her sister Alex, taking a ride in a Waymo was supposed to be a fun, novel escapade during a trip to Chandler, Arizona. It was their very first time hailing one of the driverless vehicles, and they were excited.
“I was amazed, I was like, oh my goodness, this is crazy, I’ve never seen one of these in my in real life,” Josie reflected of the moments before the trip took a dangerous turn.
Stuck Helpless in 50MPH traffic
The situation quickly escalated from a joyride to a potential disaster when the Waymo attempted to make a left turn across oncoming traffic. According to Josie, the vehicle began to creep into the intersection in a highly concerning manner.
“…the car starts to inch out slowly, obviously it’s trying to find a good gap where it can safely go,” she explained. However, the robotaxi’s hesitation quickly turned into a major hazard.
Instead of safely completing the maneuver, the Waymo drove out onto the four lanes of South Arizona Avenue and came to a complete stop. To make matters worse, oncoming vehicles were traveling at speeds of nearly 50 mph.
“It’s inching out… this is actually really scary,” Josie remembered thinking before the panic fully set in. As cars began screeching to a halt to avoid T-boning the stranded autonomous vehicle, the sisters were left screaming for help.
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Praying for a Safe Outcome
Trapped inside a car with no human driver to take over, the passengers were completely helpless.
“We were obviously terrified, that was really all we could say, we didn’t really know what to do,” Josie stated, reflecting on the sheer helplessness of the situation. “Frankly, I thought we were goners. Obviously terrifying. Didn’t really know what to do, kind of just prayed honestly”.
Fortunately, the surrounding drivers managed to avoid a collision, and the terrifying ordeal ended with the passengers finishing the ride safely. However, the incident has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the sisters.
“I don’t think I’m gonna be using Waymo anytime soon,” Josie concluded. “Luckily it ended up how it did, but I mean we I was hoping it would be a better experience than it was”.
Waymo gave the statement: “The trust and safety of our riders and the community are paramount to us. While our technology is designed to prioritize safe road interactions, we also recognize the importance of ensuring our vehicles’ actions are comfortable and meet rider expectations.
“We continually balance assertiveness with progress, incorporating feedback to refine our driving behavior and improve the overall experience.”
