SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Police in San Bruno were left scratching their heads after pulling over a Waymo self-driving car that made an illegal U-turn in front of them on Saturday night.
The DUI enforcement team noted in a social media post, “No driver, no hands, no clue,” highlighting the challenge of issuing citations when no human operator is present. The department said the U-turn was the result of a “glitch” in Waymo’s operating system rather than alcohol or human error.
Currently, California law does not allow officers to issue traffic tickets directly to autonomous vehicles. However, a bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last September will change that starting July 1, 2026. The legislation allows police to issue “notices of noncompliance” to manufacturers if their self-driving cars violate traffic laws. Vehicles will also be required to have a two-way communication device for emergency response and a dedicated emergency telephone line.
The law was prompted by multiple incidents in San Francisco, including autonomous vehicles blocking traffic, entering crime scenes, and even dragging a pedestrian along the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also investigating Waymo after nearly two dozen reports of potential traffic violations.
Waymo’s autonomous vehicles, developed by Google’s X research lab since 2009, operate using external cameras and sensors. San Bruno police said they have notified the company and hope software updates will prevent future illegal maneuvers, emphasizing, “Whether it’s drivers, passengers, or even driverless cars, we’ll continue to do our part to keep San Bruno’s streets safe.”
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