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San Francisco Outage Strands Driverless Taxis at Intersections

The operator said it extended holds to verify conditions during traffic-signal failures.

Overview

  • A large power outage on Dec. 20 cut traffic signals in San Francisco, leading some autonomous taxis to stop and cause localized congestion.
  • Waymo was identified as the operator, stating its vehicles are designed to handle dark signals and that it will work on improvements.
  • The company said certain vehicles remained stationary longer than usual as teams checked conditions for safety.
  • No crashes were reported, according to U.S. media coverage published on Dec. 21.
  • AP/Kyodo photos showed driverless cars stopped at intersections, with Japanese regional outlets publishing the dispatches on Dec. 22.