Several Austin City Council members are calling on self-driving car company Waymo to address safety concerns after one of its vehicles blocked emergency responders during a recent downtown shooting.
Five council members sent a formal letter to Waymo this week requesting a meeting with company officials to discuss coordination with public safety agencies and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
The concern stems from the March 1 mass shooting on West Sixth Street, when a Waymo autonomous vehicle was seen stopped across both lanes of traffic while an ambulance attempted to reach the scene. Video of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Emergency officials later said the vehicle did not significantly delay the overall response, and a police officer was able to manually move the car within minutes.
Still, the incident raised broader concerns about how autonomous vehicles interact with first responders during emergencies.
In their letter, council members asked Waymo representatives to appear before the city’s Public Safety Committee to explain the incident and outline steps the company is taking to improve coordination with police, fire, and EMS personnel.
The council members specifically requested a discussion about how Waymo vehicles detect emergency scenes and how the company plans to prevent vehicles from blocking emergency access in the future.
Waymo has said safety is central to its operations and that the company is reviewing the incident.
Autonomous vehicles have become increasingly common on Austin streets in recent years, as companies including Waymo expand robotaxi operations across the city. While supporters argue the technology can reduce crashes caused by human drivers, incidents like the one on Sixth Street continue to fuel debate over how the vehicles should operate around emergency responders.
The letter from Austin City Council comes after concerns about how autonomous vehicles operate during emergencies.
Here’s the background:
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Downtown shooting incident: During the March 1 shooting on West Sixth Street, a Waymo self-driving vehicle stopped in the roadway while an ambulance was attempting to reach the scene.
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Emergency response concerns: Police officers were eventually able to manually move the vehicle, but the situation raised questions about how autonomous vehicles recognize and react to emergency responders.
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Growing robotaxi presence: Waymo vehicles have become increasingly common in Austin as the company expands its driverless ride-hailing service across the city.
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City oversight questions: Because autonomous vehicles are largely regulated at the state level in Texas, cities have limited authority over their operation. Some Austin leaders say that makes communication with companies like Waymo even more important.
City leaders say the upcoming meeting with Waymo will focus on coordination with first responders and improving safety protocols as autonomous vehicles become more common on Austin streets.
Waymo officials have been invited to discuss the issue with Austin leaders at a Public Safety Committee meeting scheduled for April 29.
