Waymo robotaxis stalled and ignited on July 4.

      Waymo's robotaxis faced a difficult Fourth of July. In San Francisco, they ran out of power, caused traffic jams for hours, and one even drove over a lit firework, leading to a fire.

      During the holiday weekend, driverless Waymo vehicles were in the spotlight, rather than the technology itself. In San Francisco, many were caught up in traffic after the fireworks at the Golden Gate Bridge. Several vehicles lost their charge, prompting crews to tow them away, according to NBC Bay Area. One resident reported sitting in traffic for two hours, and people exited their cars to shout at the unmanned vehicles.

      "Are we on fire, dude?"

      The situation became even more bizarre. At least two Waymos ran over fireworks that had been lit on the road. One caught fire on Connecticut Street, as reported by CBS News. A passenger named Rose Peterson recorded her Waymo rolling over a lit firework at a four-way stop. "Are we on fire, dude?" asked a rider in the video shared by Mashable. Waymo informed the outlet that there were no injuries or damage and has since reached out to the passenger.

      San Francisco fire crews received more than 500 calls that evening. The issues extended beyond California as well. In Atlanta, drivers were seen recording themselves stuck behind three Waymos that had stopped at an intersection. This incident was just the latest in a series of viral clips from the city.

      The company's response

      Waymo cited the crowds as a contributing factor. A spokesperson explained to Business Insider what had happened. High congestion, a surge of travelers, and unexpected road closures near the fireworks disrupted operations. Some vehicles moved once traffic cleared, while others ran out of battery while idling and were subsequently towed. The company stated that no one was injured and that the vehicles remained fully autonomous throughout.

      The significance of the event

      Critics argue that this pattern is concerning. Safety advocates, including lawyers who handle crash cases, express it clearly. They contend that stalled fleets and cars heading into dangerous situations would lead to a bus service being grounded. They are calling for the NHTSA and city regulators to establish strict benchmarks before expanding the fleets. Waymo contends that it leads the industry in autonomous miles, and supporters point out that the company's safety record per mile is still better than that of human drivers.

      The timing is unfortunate. Waymo is trying to expand into new cities, even as competitors like Zoox are making strides and robotaxis in other locations are removing human safety monitors. A holiday disaster like this is not the image a rapidly growing robotaxi company wants to project. As Peterson stated, the vehicle should be "more sensitive to anything that can enter its path."