US EditionWaymo Car Makes Illegal U-Turn to Avoid DUI Checkpoint
San Bruno police could not cite the Waymo vehicle for an illegal U-turn at a DUI checkpoint due to current laws requiring human drivers for traffic violations.
- On September 27, 2025, the San Bruno Police Department said a Waymo autonomous Jaguar I-Pace made an illegal U-turn during a Friday DUI checkpoint and officers pulled it over, finding no driver inside.
- Under current state law, moving violations must be issued to human drivers, leaving police unable to cite robotaxis; Assembly Bill 1777 will allow notices of noncompliance starting July 1, 2026.
- Waymo responded that Waymo Driver is designed to respect road rules and is investigating, amid Bay Area violations including San Francisco parking fines totaling $65,065 .
- Officers stopped the vehicle and contacted Waymo to report the 'glitch,' but the car drove away without penalty, with San Bruno Police Department noting `our citation books don't have a box for 'robot'` and posting `No driver, no hands, no clue`.
- The episode feeds broader questions about autonomous vehicle oversight, as federal regulators investigate Waymo's traffic-law compliance and the Teamsters union calls the proposed law `unequal enforcement` amid San Mateo County expansion.
9 Articles
9 Articles
San Bruno Police Witness Driverless Waymo Make Illegal U-Turn, Can’t Issue Ticket
The San Bruno Police Department took to social media over the weekend highlighting its conundrum regarding how to hold a driverless vehicle accountable for violating traffic laws. A state law on the matter goes into effect July 2026.As KRON4 reports, police officers patrolling for impaired drivers near the San Bruno Caltrain station recently witnessed the errant Waymo pulling a U-ey at a traffic light. Upon discovering there was no driver in the…
Waymo pulled over by police officer during DUI enforcement operation
(KRON) -- The San Bruno Police Department (SBPD) was patrolling city streets during a late-night DUI enforcement operation over the weekend. The department said an officer pulled over a white Jaguar SUV after a traffic violation. The problem was that there was no driver to hand a physical ticket/citation to. A Waymo was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn in the area of San Mateo Avenue near the San Bruno Caltrain station, according to a …
Waymo Driverless Car Pulled Over for Evading DUI Checkpoint, No Ticket Issued
In a peculiar encounter that underscores the evolving challenges of integrating autonomous vehicles into everyday traffic enforcement, police in San Bruno, California, recently pulled over a driverless Waymo vehicle after it executed an illegal U-turn during a DUI checkpoint operation. The incident, which occurred late last week, involved officers spotting the white Jaguar SUV abruptly turning around in a no-U-turn zone, seemingly to avoid the s…
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