California Police Unable to Ticket Driverless Waymo for Illegal U-Turn Due to Legal Loophole

Police in San Bruno, California, stopped a Waymo self-driving taxi after it made an illegal U-turn, but could not issue a citation because the vehicle had no human driver, highlighting a legal loophole in current state laws which only allow tickets to be issued to human drivers. Officers contacted Waymo to report the incident and hope the company will reprogram the vehicle to prevent future violations. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law last year permitting authorities to issue notices of violation to companies deploying autonomous vehicles for traffic infractions, but this law will not take effect until July 2026, and details on penalties are still being worked out. Waymo stated its autonomous system is designed to obey traffic laws and is reviewing the incident to improve safety. Meanwhile, residents in areas like San Bruno have expressed concerns about driverless taxis disturbing neighborhoods. Other states such as Arizona and Texas have already updated laws to allow fines to be issued even when no human is behind the wheel.