Woman Gives Birth In Driverless Taxi On Way To San Francisco Hospital: "A Rare Occurrence"

A woman in San Francisco gave birth to a baby in the back of a driverless Waymo robotaxi on Monday night, The San Francisco Standard reported. While en route to the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF), the woman's labour pains intensified, and she delivered the baby inside the vehicle.

The mother and her new baby arrived safely at the hospital in the autonomous vehicle, even before emergency services. A Waymo spokesperson stated the company's remote "rider support team" detected "unusual activity" inside the car during the trip, initiated a call to check on the passenger, and contacted emergency services. 

"Earlier this week in San Francisco, a mother in labor hailed a Waymo to the hospital and ended up with an extra surprise: her baby delivered in the backseat. Some people just can't wait for their first Waymo ride,"  the company wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

After dropping off the mother and child, the vehicle was removed from service for cleaning. A UCSF spokesperson confirmed the mother and newborn were taken into the hospital upon arrival. 

"We're proud to be a trusted ride for moments big and small, serving riders from just seconds old to many years young. We wish the new family all the best, and we look forward to safely getting them where they're going through many of life's events," a Waymo spokesperson said.

This incident marks a unique moment for the autonomous vehicle industry, with Waymo confirming it was not the first birth to occur in one of its vehicles, though such occurrences are rare. The company told San Francisco Standard that a similar incident previously occurred in Phoenix.

Driverless taxis in US

Driverless taxis are becoming an increasingly common sight in several US cities, with companies like Waymo expanding their autonomous services in areas such as San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. As the technology matures, more people are opting for self-driving rides. 

However, the rise in popularity hasn't come without controversy. In one incident, a Waymo vehicle made an illegal U-turn in a restricted area - an action that sparked debate online, especially since local police couldn't issue a citation under current state law. Public concern grew further when a well-known neighborhood cat, Kit Kat, was fatally hit by one of the autonomous vehicles in San Francisco's Mission District. 

In December last year, a man named Mike Johns captured video of his Waymo driverless car endlessly circling as it attempted to take him to the airport in Scottsdale, Arizona. Despite such setbacks, the adoption of driverless taxis continues to rise, fueled by curiosity and a shift toward AI-powered mobility.