Self-driving cars are supposed to represent the pinnacle of futuristic convenience, whisking us away to our destinations without the stress of navigating traffic. However, the reality of autonomous driving can sometimes be much more terrifying than relaxing. That was certainly the case for two sisters who recently found themselves trapped inside a malfunctioning robotaxi in the middle of a busy street in Arizona.
For Virginia residents Josie Kaufman and her sister Alex, taking a ride in a Waymo was supposed to be a fun, novel escapade during a trip to Chandler, Arizona. It was their very first time hailing one of the driverless vehicles, and they were excited.
“I was amazed, I was like, oh my goodness, this is crazy, I’ve never seen one of these in my in real life,” Josie reflected of the moments before the trip took a dangerous turn.
Stuck Helpless in 50MPH traffic
The situation quickly escalated from a joyride to a potential disaster when the Waymo attempted to make a left turn across oncoming traffic. According to Josie, the vehicle began to creep into the intersection in a highly concerning manner…