Fourth Of July Gridlock Killed Waymo's High-Tech Self-Driving Cars

Using a Waymo is pricey compared to Uber and Lyft but riding in one of these autonomous vehicles can be worth the cost for the experience alone. However, some Waymo passengers in San Francisco may disagree, as they were left stranded in heavy traffic on July 4, 2026. In fact, the robotaxis were sitting still for so long that some of them eventually ran out of battery power.

The incident occurred following the city's fireworks display near the Golden Gate Bridge and affected around a dozen Waymo vehicles. A combination of traffic, large crowds, and unexpected road closures created a perfect storm that left the cars with no place to go. Waymo's roadside assistance crew was sent in to clear out some of the vehicles, with other vehicles later being removed by tow trucks. There were no injuries reported, though one Waymo did catch fire after driving over fireworks.

Some people reported being stuck for hours though it remains unclear whether any Waymo passengers exited their vehicles to find another way out of traffic. While the company did issue a statement about the situation to the press, Waymo has not addressed the incident on its own public-facing channels. The company has indicated that it is taking this incident seriously and working to improve future operations during major traffic disruptions.

Waymo has faced a number of service problems in 2026, including a scary January incident in Phoenix, Arizona. Later in the same year, the company issued a software recall after one of its vehicles encountered a flooded road in San Antonio. This led to a temporary suspension of Waymo services as company engineers worked on improving the tech. Waymo also put highway rides on pause across the U.S. as its software was updated to better handle construction zones. These disruptions came even as the company pushed for a rapid expansion into new markets.

A CNN investigation in June 2026 revealed even more problems for the autonomous ride service, based on hundreds of reported incidents. Waymo vehicles reportedly ran red lights, came too close to pedestrians, and entered areas they otherwise shouldn't have. The investigation also raised some concerns from critics about whether Waymo vehicles could handle situations that required human judgment and decision-making ability.

Waymo has faced questions regarding safety during a U.S. senate hearing, and the company has claimed that its vehicles do perform better than human drivers in many areas. The company also stated it uses feedback from incidents to improve its technology for future operations. According to company data, Waymo vehicles have reduced serious injury crashes and crashes involving both pedestrians and cyclists. The company compares these results against average human drivers going the same distance in the same service cities.