Passengers Say They Were Trapped In Driverless Taxi Stopped Mid-Street, But Waymo Blames 'User Error'

A self-driving taxi in Austin, Texas, left passengers stranded in the middle of traffic last week, raising anew concerns about the safety of autonomous vehicles. Despite claims from Waymo that passengers can exit at any time, this incident brings to attention some of the ongoing issues with these driverless cars and the regulatory gaps that allow them onto busy streets. MoPac Expressway Nightmare Earlier this month, Becky Navarro and her companions found themselves caught in a real-life horror story.

Their Waymo vehicle suddenly stopped on the notorious MoPac Expressway, a stretch often dubbed one of Austin's most perilous roads. Navarro states how the car refused to move or let them out, with cars honking loudly as they sat helplessly in the lane. Navarro posted a video on TikTok that has since attracted over 500,000 views.



In the footage, she can be seen arguing with a live support agent while the vehicle's screen prompts passengers to 'please exit now.' A voice repeatedly warns of approaching vehicles, which served to elevate the sense of danger. "We kept saying, 'We're on a highway, please move the car,"' Navarro reported.

'Cars kept honking at us, and it would not move, would not let us out.' Waymo's Response Waymo's official statement suggests that passengers could have exited the vehicle at any point by pulling the handle twice—once to unlock and once to open the door. However, Navarro claims the car only unlocked after she threatened to go live on TikTok, implying.

.. J.

Alas.