Robotaxi Malfunctions are Raising Safety Concerns

The key question is not whether autonomous vehicles will ever be perfect, but whether regulators and lawmakers can keep pace with the risks as they emerge.

During the aftermath of the mass shooting in Austin on March 1, 2026, a Waymo car sat blocking an ambulance from approaching the scene. Fortunately, local law enforcement had been trained on how to handle this scenario, thanks to regulations in Texas, and were able to move the robotaxi out of the way without much delay. Unfortunately, this is not the first time a robotaxi has prevented emergency responders from doing their job, and it likely won’t be the last.

There have been a number of incidents reported over the last few years of robotaxis like Waymo blocking emergency vehicles. This is extremely concerning, as emergencies are often life-or-death situations where even a brief delay in responder access can be fatal. In one case, a Cruise vehicle delayed an ambulance transporting a man who had been hit by a bus. The patient later died, though investigators ultimately determined the AV was not at fault.

In addition to these literal roadblocks that need to be worked out, there have been other safety concerns with robotaxis. While only six autonomous vehicle accidents have been caused by a system malfunction, according to a recent data analysis, one of them led to serious injuries. 

In the infamous Cruise incident, an autonomous vehicle ran over a pedestrian and then dragged her for 20 feet before stopping. Although it was initially another car that struck the pedestrian and threw her into the path of the Cruise car, the AV failed to detect her trapped underneath and determined it was safe to continue driving. Cruise was later fined $500,000 for omitting the dragging part from their incident report.

Although these are the most serious malfunctions to date, they aren’t the only ones. A few honorable mentions:

• There have also been at least three incidents of someone getting stuck inside a Waymo vehicle. Ultimately, these people got help and were able to exit the vehicles unharmed, but it’s a scary situation that could have been worse.
• A blackout in San Francisco left hundreds of Waymo vehicles sitting still at dark intersections, unable to navigate without traffic signals. This led to major traffic jams, with some robotaxis blocking emergency vehicles.
• In late 2025, a Waymo in Los Angeles drove directly into an active police standoff, unable to interpret the situation. Another robotaxi in Atlanta similarly drove into an active crime scene where a SWAT team was responding to an armed barricade situation, again, not understanding the context of what was happening. If this happens with a passenger in the car, they could be put in harm’s way.

  

Cybersecurity is another growing concern. It recently came to light that Waymo occasionally uses overseas human agents to assist its robotaxis when they encounter situations they cannot handle independently. While Waymo maintains this was never hidden from the public, the revelation still alarmed many Americans. The worry is understandable: if overseas operators can access a moving vehicle remotely, it raises serious questions about what happens if that access is ever compromised.

As robotaxis expand into more cities and onto highways, even more system issues will likely emerge. The technology is still in its early stages, and the incidents documented so far represent a relatively small sample size. But as deployment scales up, so does the potential for harm. The key question is not whether autonomous vehicles will ever be perfect, but whether regulators and lawmakers can keep pace with the risks as they emerge.