Waymo Freeway Robotaxis Paused After Rider Says Trip Turned Terrifying
Trouble in the Fast Lane
Waymo has been fairly impressive on city streets, but the same cannot be said for freeways. The robotaxi company recently suspended its U.S. freeway operations shortly after expanding the service, possibly as pressure builds from rivals such as Tesla and Amazon's Zoox.
One freeway incident caught on camera was shared by @Elliot_slade on X, who wrote that they genuinely thought they "were about to die" during a Waymo ride. The user said the robotaxi swerved around huge trucks, entered a closed road, and even sped away from police. A remote operator reportedly intervened, but it is easy to imagine how terrifying the experience must have been for passengers riding in a vehicle without a physical driver.
Waymo's freeway service was previously available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami.
The Waymo blasted through cones, swerved huge trucks and sped away from the cops.
— QuietLight (@Elliot_slade) May 19, 2026
Was kinda freaking out, had my girl in the seat next to me. You can get the sirens.
Genuinely the freakiest experience I've ever had, felt utterly helpless.
These are not ready for highways. pic.twitter.com/S1HNQx0VGh
The Incidents Keep Piling Up
There were also other incidents working against Waymo. One involved a recall affecting roughly 3,800 robotaxis after the company identified a risk that some vehicles could enter flooded roads with higher speed limits. Another incident reportedly showed a Waymo vehicle crossing eight lanes of traffic, nearly resulting in a T-bone crash.
In addition, the company has paused its operations in Atlanta, Georgia, as it works on software improvements aimed at enhancing how its robotaxis respond to construction zones and flooded roadways.
"We have temporarily paused freeway operations, as we work to integrate recent technical learnings into our software and expect to resume these routes soon," a Waymo spokesperson told Reuters.
The Industry's Next Big Gamble
With all these issues, questions remain about the safety of autonomous vehicles on public roads, especially since they are partly being developed to reduce crashes caused by distracted, tired, or drunk human drivers. For businesses, robotaxis also promise lower costs and longer operating hours by removing the need for paid drivers working shifts.
Perhaps Waymo is feeling the heat as more companies enter the robotaxi space. As mentioned, Tesla is making progress in this area with the Cybercab, a low-cost, two-seater vehicle designed to operate without a steering wheel or pedals. Waymo, meanwhile, continues to rely on Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and an autonomous van developed with Zeekr are part of its expansion plans.
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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 7:45 AM.