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Posted on the 24th April 2025 in PHTM News
DRIVERLESS WAYMO TAXI TRAPS PASSENGERS ON AUSTIN HIGHWAY SPARKING SAFETY FEARS
A ride in a driverless Waymo taxi turned into a "Black Mirror" moment for two passengers in Austin, Texas, after the autonomous vehicle allegedly stopped in a busy merging lane on a notorious highway and locked them inside.
The incident, captured in a viral TikTok video, has ignited safety concerns about the burgeoning technology.
Passenger Becky Navarro recounted the terrifying experience, stating in her video: "We kept saying 'We're on a highway, please move the car.' Cars kept honking at us, and it would not move. It would not let us out."
Navarro claimed the Waymo vehicle had driven past their intended destination before inexplicably halting under the MoPac Expressway, a road described by one online commenter as "one of the scariest roads in Austin" and a "death trap."
Navarro alleged that the doors only unlocked after she threatened customer support to go live on TikTok.
However, Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., refuted this account, claiming the passengers had initiated the stop by pressing the "pull over" button.
A Waymo representative told The Post: "During their ride, the passengers in the video pressed the ‘pull over’ button and the vehicle pulled to the side of a 30 mph road with a sidewalk. The riders could have safely exited at any time and at no point did our Rider Support team remotely unlock the door for them."
The company insists passengers can pause their ride and exit the vehicle at any point.
Despite Waymo's explanation, the incident has fuelled anxieties about the reliability and safety of driverless vehicles. One TikTok commenter's fear of being "parked on Mopac" resonated with many viewers.
This is not the first time Waymo has faced scrutiny over alleged malfunctions. Earlier this year, tech entrepreneur Mike Johns reported being taken on a dizzying circular route by a Waymo taxi in Arizona, requiring remote intervention from customer service.
While remote operation has proven useful in some instances, such as when Los Angeles police remotely disabled a getaway driverless car, incidents like the one on MoPac raise questions about passenger safety and the technology's readiness for widespread adoption in complex urban environments.
The debate surrounding the safety and reliability of driverless taxis is likely to intensify following this latest incident.
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