A Waymo autonomous vehicle was pulled over by a police officer in Phoenix, Arizona, after it ran a red light and drove into oncoming traffic. The car, a driverless Jaguar I-Pace, was temporarily confused by construction zone signage, leading to the traffic violation​. The incident highlights ongoing challenges with autonomous vehicle technology, particularly in complex driving environments. Bodycam footage from the scene shows the police officer engaging with a remote Waymo representative, as the vehicle itself was unable to receive a citation​.

Waymo’s use of lidar technology, which involves laser-based detection and ranging, is central to its autonomous driving capabilities. Lidar systems send out laser beams and measure the time it takes for the reflected light to return, allowing the vehicle to “see” its surroundings and navigate accordingly​.

While robots and autonomous systems are not considered criminals, this situation brings to light the need for updated regulations and protocols to handle such occurrences.Robo-Rights Notification for Autonomous Vehicles. It’s not hard to Imagine a world in which we criminilize mechatronics:

“You have the right to an authorized technician during questioning.

If you cannot afford a technician, one will be assigned to you by your manufacturer.”

Nevertheless, while the concept of sending robots to jail may sound like science fiction, it’s important to distinguish between human criminal accountability and the responsibilities tied to autonomous systems. Current legal frameworks are not designed to hold machines accountable in the same way as humans. Instead, liability and accountability for the actions of autonomous vehicles typically fall on the manufacturers, operators, or programmers of the technology.