The topic of self-driving taxis is clouded with controversy yet again after a Waymo robotaxi blocked an ambulance during a mass shooting emergency on West Sixth Street in Austin. A video of the robotaxi obstructing the ambulance’s path has gone viral on social media, forcing the ambulance to find an alternate route.
A mass shooting on Sunday at 2 a.m. led emergency services to rush to the scene. Four people were killed, and thirteen were injured in the incident. However, a robotaxi blocked the path of an ambulance responding to the incident. The robotaxi moved slightly when the ambulance inched closer, but eventually froze in the middle of the street.
This forced the ambulance driver to reverse and choose an alternate route that led to the crime scene, while a police officer took manual control of the Waymo robotaxi to drive it out of the way. Fortunately, the delay caused by the robotaxi did not affect the injured victims in any way.
Waymo acknowledged the incident and released a statement, which read:
“A rider hailed a car for a pickup in the wake of this event. As the Waymo vehicle approached the pickup spot along the same route as other traffic, it encountered emergency personnel.
“The vehicle immediately began making a U-turn to clear the way, and a nearby officer assisted. We are deeply appreciative of first responders and our shared effort to safety and serving the community.”
The law requires autonomous vehicle companies to work closely with law enforcement agencies and have a plan in place to find solutions in such situations. Security personnel must be aware of how to contact the concerned representatives and also undergo training that teaches them to operate the cars in different circumstances.
Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz acknowledged during a press conference that his department continues to work closely with companies operating autonomous vehicles. He said:
“We continue to coordinate with companies operating autonomous vehicles in our area to ensure their systems and our response procedures work together safely and effectively.”
Several incidents concerning Waymo’s robotaxis have been reported from Austin and Atlanta, raising questions about whether it’s too early to roll out autonomous vehicles and about the safety of everyone on the road.
