“If I need a driver license to be on the road, how does a self driving car go on the road without one?”

As self-driving automobiles are making their manner onto streets throughout the nation, one query is on lots of people’s minds: when the automobile messes up, who’s at fault?

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This isn’t a hypothetical query. While folks within the synthetic intelligence area have been claiming for years that driverless automobiles are safer than manned ones, there are quite a few documented incidents of driverless automobiles breaking visitors legal guidelines and, sometimes, placing their passengers in peril.

For instance, one driverless automobile went viral after by chance driving into moist concrete in San Francisco; different, extra critical incidents have included a number of collisions involving driverless automobiles, together with one the place a driverless automobile collided with an lively hearth truck.

So, when one in every of these automobiles does one thing in error, who’s at fault? That’s what a latest TikTok video has folks questioning.

Why did this cop pull over a Waymo automobile?

In a TikTok video posted by consumer @kiefer_d_live, which has since been reposted to Reddit, a person could be seen caught behind a Waymo driverless automobile. After just a few seconds, he will get out of the automobile to confront the driving force, solely to find that the automobile has no driver.

Frustrated, the person slaps the Waymo automobile and returns to his personal. The Waymo then makes a problematic left flip, at which level it’s stopped by a police officer. Given the transient size of the video, it’s unclear what brought about the unique incident, although the police officer seems to have pulled the automobile over for making a left flip whereas within the fallacious lane.

This isn’t the primary time {that a} Waymo automobile has been cited. In 2024, Waymo’s Robotaxis obtained over 600 parking tickets and different citations in San Francisco, leading to fines of over $65,000; Waymo says that they’ve paid the citations and are bettering the automobiles to keep away from future incidents.

However, Waymo automobiles in California haven’t obtained any transferring violations for points just like the one proven within the video, as a result of they legally can’t.

As reported by the Washington Post in March 2025, autonomous automobiles in California can’t be issued transferring violations, as these citations require a human driver. This will change beginning in July 2026, after a brand new legislation permits peace officers to difficulty “notices of autonomous vehicle noncompliance” to corporations working self-driving automobiles when visitors legal guidelines are damaged. 

@kiefer_d_live G-Wagon proprietor smacks a #Waymo for inflicting visitors on Rodeo Drive, then #BHPD pulls it over 😹 Does the cop simply drop the ticket within the entrance seat? #tiktoklive #livehighlights #kieferdixon ♬ Chicken Chase – FSL Music

Internet customers react

While some could also be startled by movies like these making the rounds, the web’s response to this incident, particularly provided that nobody was injured, has primarily been one in every of humor. Still, some customers shared their ideas about Waymo automobiles getting pulled over generally.

“Driving-based businesses in big cities basically always rack up massive numbers of parking citations. Couriers, conventional taxis, limousines, etc—all double park all the time,” stated one Reddit consumer. “UPS and FedEx exceeded $1M between them this last year in San Francisco.” The latter assertion is true, in line with the San Francisco Standard.

“No one’s in there, but cops talk to the representatives. I’ve seen a few Waymos be pulled over now,” famous a TikTok commenter.

“ELI5 if I need a driver’s license to be on the road, how does a self-driving car go on the road without one?” questioned one other Reddit remark.

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