Busy Roadways Clogged as Waymo Becomes Stumped by Small Puddle

A Waymo driverless taxi stalled in Austin after encountering a small puddle during a storm on North Lamar Boulevard.

The robotaxi stopped in the lane and forced other vehicles to maneuver around it, briefly blocking traffic.

The clip drew criticism over whether autonomous cars can reliably handle simple but safety-critical road hazards.

The incident underscores wider concerns about AV performance in heavy rain, flooding, and other edge cases.