--- title: "Police Pull Over Waymo to Check for Drunk Driving" description: "Bay Area cops were on the look out for drunk drivers — and were probably disappointed to pull over a driverless Waymo instead." date: "2025-10-02" modified: "2025-10-02" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/police-waymo-drunk-driving" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" --- # Police Pull Over Waymo to Check for Drunk Driving ![Bay Area cops were on the look out for drunk drivers — and were probably disappointed to pull over a driverless Waymo instead.]() *Photo Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images* A few months ago, the [*San Francisco Chronicle* documented]() a subtle shift in how Waymo robotaxis were navigating the roads: they were driving more like humans. Their behavior was more "assertive," honking at drivers that cut them off, and getting a rolling start while waiting for a pedestrian to finish crossing the street. These weren't just an aesthetic change — Waymo bragged that its cars' human qualities actually made them safer. But maybe they're a little *too* human. Now, the robotaxis are getting pulled over like your average driver, too. On Friday night, cops in the Bay Area city of San Bruno who were on the lookout for drunk drivers stopped a car after it made an illegal U-turn at a traffic light — only to realize there was no one in the driver's seat. There was no smell of booze or someone slurring their words, either. It was a Waymo robotaxi blowing off traffic laws like many a human driver when it's late out. "No driver, no hands, no clue," the police department wrote in a social media post about the incident, per the [*Chronicle's* reporting](). The self-driving cab, however, didn't get dinged like you or us. Since there was no one operating the vehicle, the cops couldn't issue a citation. But they did reach out to Waymo's parent company Google to let them know about the glitch. "Our citation books don't have a box for 'robot,'" the department said. This certainly isn't the first time that the autonomous vehicles have had a run in with the law. Last year, Phoenix police pulled over a Waymo after it [veered into oncoming traffic and blew through a red light](). They've exhibited plenty of weird driving habits, too, like [endlessly driving in circles]() after getting stuck in a roundabout, or [congregating in parking lots]() and honking at each other, or [constantly hanging out in front of one family's house]() with no explanation. Some incidents have been serious. A Waymo ran over a dog, and another [struck a bicyclist](), causing a brain and spine injury. Stuff like that hasn't exactly endeared the cabs to many residents, who've resorted to [coning off their neighborhoods]() to keep the Waymos at bay — when they aren't [burning them](). They'll surely be thrilled to hear that the cabs can also blunder around like a drunk idiot and not even get so much as a ticket. **More on robotaxis:** *[Waymo Says There’s a Perfect Reasonable Explanation for Its Car Roaming a Golf Course]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()