Despite some pretty significant recalls recently – almost 4,000 to be precise – Waymo’s time in the headlines hasn’t been all bad news. That’s because, despite a few close fumbles along the way, Waymo actually did something right. According to a post shared by the San Mateo Police Department on Facebook, a Waymo robotaxi helped report and arrest two intoxicated teenagers who were shooting water guns filled with Orbeez from the car’s windows.
Exact details of how the detention took place have not been shared; However, the San Mateo Police Department shared video showing up to five officers approaching the Waymo, which had stopped in a parking lot to wait for police. (via Los Angeles Times). The vehicles are known to be equipped with cameras and microphones in the cabin to help promote the safety and security of passengers. It doesn’t seem like the teens thought about these possibilities when they decided to take a robotaxi ride.
Comments on the Facebook post ranged from someone jokingly calling Waymo a snitch to others commenting on the humor of the situation and how they could see their own children doing something similar if Waymo had existed when they were younger. Some even praised the San Mateo police for the way they handled the situation.
An important reminder about smart cars and robotaxis
Karolis Kavolelis/Shutterstock
While it may be easy to view robo-taxis like Waymos as a way to avoid dealing with people, they are still considered heavily monitored vehicles. Sure, they may not have a driver sitting there asking you a thousand questions as you drive from point A to point B, but they still have cameras and microphones. And even though Waymo says these cameras and microphones are only used to promote safety, locate lost items, and ensure vehicle cleanliness, there’s always someone monitoring them — whether it’s a real person or the computers Waymo has installed to monitor footage of its fleet.
Having this type of monitoring can be great, especially for gathering evidence from situations like this, as well as when things don’t go the way they’re supposed to – like when a Waymo blocked a bike path one day. However, it’s hard to deny how useful vehicles like Waymo’s robotaxis can be, especially in helping to reduce problems like drunk driving. And as more companies push them onto the streets and U.S. lawmakers look for ways to make autonomous vehicles easier to manufacture, it’s very likely that we’ll see more and more automated vehicles on our streets.
