Residents in London are expressing frustration as Waymo's self-driving cars repeatedly find themselves stuck on dead-end roads, causing disturbances late at night. The incidents have sparked safety concerns and scrutiny over the company's autonomous technology.

Repeated Incidents Cause Late-Night Disturbances

A Waymo vehicle woke residents of a quiet London street at 4 a.m. after getting stuck while attempting to navigate a dead-end road three times in one week. On Sunday, a resident took to social media to complain after one of the American firm's fleet woke him up at 4:15 a.m. Footage captured the white SUV-style car mounting the curb and sagging back onto the cobbles as it slowly reversed out of the street.

The incident followed another instance on Wednesday, where a Waymo vehicle became stuck overnight, once again reversing slowly down the road. These repeated occurrences have raised questions about the effectiveness of Waymo's autonomous navigation systems.

Previous Incidents and Company Response

Waymo's vehicles have faced scrutiny since hitting London streets, particularly after an incident last month where a Waymo car drove into a taped-off crime scene in Harlesden, west London. The company later attributed the incident to driver error.

Waymo, which already operates a fully driverless service in several American cities, is currently testing its fleet of distinctive white Jaguar vehicles in London. These vehicles are designed to offer a completely autonomous, self-driving taxi service. The company had initially planned to test the service before a wider rollout as early as September, with plans to expand to other British cities afterward.