Self-driving Waymo taxis, which have previously made headlines for unfortunate incidents, are now in the spotlight for a heartwarming reason: the birth of a baby inside one of these autonomous vehicles.
According to Western Journal, a San Francisco woman gave birth in a Waymo taxi while en route to the University of California, San Francisco medical center. A Waymo representative confirmed the details in a statement.
The company's rider support team detected "unusual activity" within the vehicle, prompting them to contact the rider and alert emergency services. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company, did not disclose how the vehicle identified the anomaly. The taxi managed to reach the hospital safely, ahead of the arrival of emergency responders.
Jess Berthold, a spokesperson for UCSF, verified that both mother and child were transported to the hospital, though the mother was unavailable for interviews. Following the event, Waymo removed the vehicle from service for cleaning. While such occurrences are rare, this is not the first time a baby has been born in one of Waymo's taxis. "Were proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small, serving riders from just seconds old to many years young," the company stated.
Despite their growing popularity, driverless taxis have faced increased scrutiny. Riders can access these autonomous vehicles on freeways and interstates across San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. In September, a Waymo vehicle executed an illegal U-turn in front of a sign prohibiting such maneuvers, leading to criticism of the San Bruno Police, who were unable to issue a ticket due to state law restrictions on ticketing driverless cars.
In October, a beloved tabby cat named Kit Kat, known for roaming its Mission District neighborhood, was tragically killed by a Waymo vehicle.
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