Last August, a fire burned through ten acres of grass on either side of California’s I-280 near Redwood City. Traffic backed up as firefighters worked, and California Highway Patrol officers directed drivers to turn around and travel the wrong way to exit the freeway. Some drivers encountered a new obstacle: a Waymo robotaxi.
Footage of the incident shows the Waymo autonomous vehicle attempted to pass stopped traffic by driving on the shoulder. It then reversed away from oncoming wrong-way cars before stopping completely. The robotaxi would not move, despite efforts from the company’s remote assistance team. Waymo ultimately called 911 for help.
A remote assistance worker told a 911 dispatcher that while highway patrol had turned all other vehicles around, their car was not able to do so. The employee requested that officers on the scene drive the robotaxi away and arrange transportation for the passenger inside.
Approximately thirty minutes after the call, a California Highway Patrol officer took control of the vehicle and drove it to a park-and-ride lot near the highway. From there, a Waymo roadside assistance worker retrieved it.
The Redwood City incident could be seen as an edge case, an inevitable yet mildly embarrassing blip in Waymo’s rapidly expanding robotaxi service. However, it was not an isolated event. Waymo has repeatedly relied on taxpayer-funded first responders to navigate its vehicles during issues, despite having its own roadside assistance team.
In at least six instances identified, first responders have had to take control of Waymo vehicles and move them out of traffic during emergencies. This includes one instance where an officer was responding to a mass shooting.
Waymo has recently faced criticism from lawmakers for its use of remote assistance employees, including some based in the Philippines, to help its robotaxis navigate complex situations. Its roadside assistance team has received far less attention.
Company representatives did not mention these roadside assistance workers during a tense March hearing in San Francisco regarding robotaxis that became stalled during a major December power outage. At that meeting, city officials expressed concern that stuck autonomous vehicles were impeding emergency responders.
Mary Ellen Carroll, the executive director of San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management, stated that public safety officers are increasingly having to physically move Waymo vehicles, effectively becoming a default roadside assistance, which the city does not find tenable.
Waymo stated that its roadside assistance workers cleared dozens of stuck robotaxis during the blackout, with a handful still requiring movement by first responders. The company described its roadside assistance as a dedicated team of specialists providing on-the-ground support, with standards prioritizing minimal community impact.
Waymo declined to answer questions about the size of its roadside assistance team, which third-party companies might employ them, or how it plans to scale the team as it aims to launch in approximately twenty more cities this year.
Waymo’s robotaxis provide over 400,000 paid rides weekly. The vehicles occasionally require human help, which is provided in several ways. Remote assistance workers, about 70 of whom monitor the fleet at any time, offer guidance in complex situations. They provide advice but do not directly control the vehicle.
This system is not flawless. The National Transportation Safety Board recently revealed an incident in Austin where a remote assistance worker incorrectly told a robotaxi it could proceed past a school bus that was loading children with its stop arms extended. Waymo stated it audits such responses and takes corrective action.
For crashes or vehicles stuck in emergencies, Waymo uses an Event Response Team, exclusively based in the U.S., to coordinate with emergency responders. The worker who assisted with the Redwood City incident was likely part of this team.
Communications challenges have occurred. During the Redwood City fire, California Highway Patrol officers were initially under the impression for about ten minutes that Waymo wanted the passenger to drive the vehicle away. A second 911 call clarified that an officer needed to drive it.
The roadside assistance team handles on-scene interaction and is often tasked with moving a vehicle. Some workers appear to be employed by a third-party contractor. Waymo also stated it requires local tow partners to maintain rapid response capabilities.
Despite Waymo’s statements that it does not expect first responders to interact with its vehicles, such interactions continue. In addition to the mass shooting response in Austin, a first responder in Atlanta had to disengage a Waymo that drove into an active crime scene in February. This week, an officer in Nashville manually drove a stuck Waymo from an intersection.
During the San Francisco hearing, officials repeatedly asked Waymo how it would reduce dependence on first responders. Waymo did not mention its dedicated roadside assistance workers during the three-hour meeting.
District Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, who oversaw the hearing, said he did not receive satisfactory answers on how Waymo would take more accountability to ensure first responders are not filling that role.
A Waymo manager stated the company has trained over 30,000 first responders globally on interacting with its robotaxis and collaborated with them to design the system that allows them to take control. He mentioned improvements to surge-staffing capabilities and suggested potentially leveraging partnerships, similar to one with DoorDash, to move vehicles.
City officials remained firm in their position. District Supervisor Alan Wong summarized the concern, stating that their first responders should not function as a roadside assistance service.