Waymo isn’t done freezing its robotaxi service over safety issues. The Alphabet brand says it has suspended freeway driving in the U.S. cities where it has been available, including Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and San Francisco.
In a statement initially supplied to Reuters, Waymo said it wanted to “integrate recent technical learnings” into its Driver software. The company wants to improve how its autonomous vehicles handle construction zones, according to a spokesperson.
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Operations on freeways should resume “soon,” Waymo added. Service on other roads hasn’t changed.
The decision wasn’t linked to a specific incident, but came just days after writer Elliot Slade shared a video that appeared to show his Waymo ride driving past construction cones, maneuvering around large trucks, and allegedly pulling away from police. Slade felt “utterly helpless” as his partner sat beside him, according to his X post.
Compounding Waymo’s recent troubles
Flooded roads have also been a problem
The suspension follows soon after Waymo temporarily halted service in Atlanta after one of its cars drove into a flooded intersection and was stuck for roughly an hour. That, in turn, came after the company paused San Antonio business for similar reasons.
Waymo sought to mitigate the issue with a software update that steers its robotaxis away from roads with elevated flooding risks. A more thorough solution is still in development, however, and the Atlanta pause came after the short-term fix was in place. Waymo issued a recall for all of its 3,791 robotaxis as part of the update strategy.
Safety issues aren’t unique to Waymo, as competitors like Tesla and GM’s defunct Cruise have also dealt with problems. The company has faced a slew of concerns in 2026, though, including parking tickets, its handling of stopped school buses, and a collision with a child in January.
Necessary but inconvenient
While Waymo has long said that it prioritizes safety, the decision to suspend freeway service could frustrate a company eager to boost demand. All the affected cities are highly dependent on freeways for long-distance travel. Without them, some rides are simply too long to be practical—customers may switch to human-driven rides, and aren’t guaranteed to come back once driverless taxis return.
Source: Reuters
