Are robotaxis like Waymo reliable in crises like San Francisco power outage?

A recent power outage in San Francisco, which led to the widespread suspension of Waymo robotaxis service, has sparked concerns about the reliability of robotaxis during similar emergencies.

The incident has drawn calls for stricter regulations given the persistently evolving autonomous vehicle industry, especially the expansion of Tesla and Amazon's Zoox robotaxi services.

Regulators must ensure that autonomous systems can effectively handle crises, such as earthquakes or floods, experts say. 

Philip Koopman, a computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, stressed the need for proof that these vehicles can withstand emergency scenarios.

On December 20, a fire at a PG&E substation caused a power breakdown in SF, which took a toll on one-third of the city.

Videos flooded social platforms depicting Waymo's driverless taxis stalled at intersections with their hazard lights on, as traffic signals failed.

In the wake of the power outage in San Francisco, Waymo temporarily halted its ride-hailing services and resumed the following day.

Regarding its ill-fated robotaxi services that collapsed during a power outage crisis, Waymo stated that while its robotaxis are programmed to treat non-operational traffic signals as four-way stops, an overwhelming number of confirmation requests following the outage caused delays and congestion.

Although the company has backed its driverless ride-hailing service with human "fleet response" agents to assist when such issues arise, experts like Missy Cummings from George Mason University outline the importance of regulating remote operations to ensure safety during failures.

California's Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission are investigating the incident and discussing emergency response protocols with Waymo and other autonomous vehicle manufacturers.

As the realm of fully autonomous vehicles is advancing and expanding, experts are demanding additional permitting requirements for larger fleets for better management of disruptions.