What's happened
Waymo temporarily halted its autonomous ride-hailing service in San Francisco after its vehicles caused traffic jams during a power outage. The outage affected thousands of residents, and the vehicles were seen stalled at intersections, contributing to gridlock. Service is expected to resume once conditions improve.
What's behind the headline?
The suspension of Waymo's service underscores the vulnerability of autonomous vehicles to infrastructure failures. The power outage, caused by a fire at a substation, left traffic lights down, confusing the driverless cars and causing them to halt unpredictably. This incident reveals that current autonomous systems are still heavily dependent on external infrastructure, which can be compromised during emergencies. The disruption also raises questions about the safety protocols and adaptability of these vehicles in unexpected scenarios. While Waymo's technology is advanced, its reliance on detailed maps and sensors makes it susceptible to environmental and infrastructural changes. The incident may prompt regulators and companies to reconsider the robustness of autonomous vehicle systems, especially in urban environments prone to outages. Moving forward, integrating more resilient systems and better emergency protocols will be crucial for the safe deployment of driverless cars in complex city settings.
What the papers say
The New York Times reports that Waymo's service was suspended after vehicles caused gridlock during a power outage, with the company working closely with city officials to restore service. Business Insider UK highlights that the outage affected about 130,000 customers and that Waymo's vehicles were left stalled at intersections, contributing to traffic jams. The Independent notes that the outage stemmed from a fire at a substation, and that the vehicles' confusion was due to the lack of functioning traffic lights. All sources emphasize the dependence of autonomous vehicles on external infrastructure and the ongoing challenges they face in urban scenarios, especially during emergencies.
How we got here
Waymo, owned by Alphabet, launched its autonomous ride-hailing service in San Francisco in 2023, expanding from earlier deployments in Phoenix and other cities. The service relies on detailed maps and sensors, which can be disrupted by infrastructure issues like power outages. Recent incidents include vehicle recalls and a fatal collision with a pet, highlighting ongoing challenges.
Go deeper
Common question
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Why Was Waymo's Service Suspended in San Francisco?
In December 2025, Waymo temporarily suspended its autonomous ride-hailing service in San Francisco after vehicles caused traffic jams during a power outage. This incident raised questions about the safety and reliability of self-driving cars during emergencies. Below, we explore what happened, why the service was halted, and what it means for autonomous vehicles in urban areas.
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Are Autonomous Vehicles Causing More Traffic Disruptions?
Autonomous vehicles, or self-driving cars, are often seen as the future of transportation. But recent incidents, like the suspension of Waymo's service in San Francisco due to traffic jams, raise questions about whether these vehicles are actually causing more disruptions on the road. In this page, we'll explore the impact of autonomous vehicles on traffic flow, safety concerns, how cities are managing these challenges, and what improvements we can expect in the near future.
More on these topics
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San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco and colloquially known as The City, SF, or Frisco and San Fran, is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California.
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Waymo LLC is an American autonomous driving technology development company. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google.