A Waymo autonomous vehicle drove through a barrage of exploding fireworks on July 4th in San Francisco, as captured by passengers inside the robotaxi. The incident occurred amid significant traffic congestion that impacted the company's operations across the city.
In footage from inside the vehicle, passengers can be heard expressing alarm as a firework detonates in the middle of an intersection just as the Waymo continues forward. "Oh no, no, no," one passenger said. "Are we on fire, dude?" another asked, as colorful smoke emanated from around the robotaxi.
No injuries were reported among the passengers. Waymo stated that its priority is safety, particularly during large public events. A spokesperson noted that extreme traffic congestion on July 4th disrupted normal operations for several of its vehicles in Northern San Francisco. The company's roadside assistance team worked to clear vehicles from congested areas in coordination with local authorities and emergency services.
"Our team is always evaluating ways to strengthen Waymo’s resilience in major traffic disruptions," the spokesperson said.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., operates a fleet of driverless vehicles in 10 cities, completing approximately 500,000 paid rides weekly. The company utilizes an advanced LiDAR sensor suite for its autonomous driving system.