When a pair of San Bruno policemen in Northern California pulled over a taxi for an illegal U-turn, they discovered there was no driver behind the wheel and as a result, no one to issue a ticket to.
It was a first for both traffic officers, according to a department social media post on the autonomous vehicle (AV) mishap.
The post was titled “DUI Enforcement… with a plot twist” and stated that stopping the self-navigating automobile was part of a grant-funded DUI enforcement operation.
AVs, also known as self-driving or driverless vehicles, operate with camera and radar sensors as well as software to perceive the street and steer safely without a human navigating it.
“Our officers observed something unusual: an autonomous vehicle made an illegal U-turn right in front of them at a light,” the post said. “Whether it’s drivers, passengers, or even driverless cars, we’ll continue to do our part to keep San Bruno’s streets safe."
San Bruno Police Chief Matt Lethin confirmed the self-driving taxi was a Waymo and reported the incident to Waymo company leaders.
"My officers turned on their emergency lights and sounded a siren, and the vehicle yielded to the side of a road so a traffic stop could be conducted," Lethin told NTD. "The officers were then able to contact Waymo's dispatch center to address the matter."
Waymo is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet. Company leaders did not respond to requests for comment.
"Current California law requires a citation for a moving violation to be issued to a driver, so for AVs, this is problematic," Lethin added.
AB 1777 takes effect on July 1, 2026, and will allow police to issue notices of noncompliance in such situations.
The law, introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Philip Ting, is intended to strengthen policies and regulations for AVs and permit police agencies to document and report incidents to the DMW when self-driving cars are noncompliant.