A self-driving taxi just proved it can call the cops on its own passengers

Self-driving cars are typically discussed in terms of navigation, sensors and road safety. A recent incident in San Mateo, California, has drawn attention to a different capability entirely: the ability of a Waymo robotaxi to contact police on its own when something goes wrong inside the vehicle.

According to the San Mateo Police Department, the autonomous taxi pulled into a parking lot and remained there until officers arrived, after two 15-year-olds allegedly used the vehicle while drinking alcohol and shooting water guns filled with Orbeez, small water-absorbing beads, from its windows. Police shared video of the incident on Facebook, showing multiple officers approaching the stopped vehicle, and wrote, “Parents do you know where your teens are? Waymo does!”

Waymo says its vehicles are equipped with internal cameras and microphones intended to support passenger safety and security, and that support staff can access live video “in more urgent circumstances.” The company states it does not use facial recognition or other biometric identification technologies to identify passengers.

The exact sequence of events that prompted the vehicle to alert authorities has not been disclosed, and Waymo had not responded to media requests for comment at the time reports were published. The incident is a reminder that despite operating without a human driver, robotaxis remain connected vehicles equipped with monitoring systems that can assist with safety and emergency responses.