A Waymo self-driving car drove directly onto Phoenix’s light rail tracks in south Phoenix on Saturday, January 10. Video recorded near Central Avenue and Southern Avenue shows the autonomous vehicle stopping on the tracks just as a light rail train approaches. Seconds later, the passenger jumps out of the vehicle before the car continues moving along the tracks near another train.
Experts say this appears to be an “edge case,” which is defined as a rare scenario where autonomous systems struggle with unexpected conditions. Waymo vehicles use 29 cameras and receive frequent software updates to account for construction zones like this one, but experts say no system can anticipate every change. Valley Metro said the situation was cleared within minutes. No injuries were reported and service delays were minimal.