Footage of a self-driving Waymo car stopping at a green light before later moving past a red signal has stirred debate online — though many drivers argue the autonomous vehicle may not have done anything wrong.
The short 39-second video, posted on X, shows the driverless vehicle travelling along a busy street in London.
As it approaches a traffic light showing green, the Waymo comes to a halt while a cyclist on its left rides through the junction.
Moments later, after the signal appears to change to red, the car sets off again and continues down a road to the left.
The incident reportedly took place at around 8.15am on July 24, as driverless taxis prepare to appear on British roads during a trial period.
Waymo is testing its fleet of recognisable white Jaguar vehicles, developed to operate as a fully autonomous self-driving taxi service.
If the trials prove successful, passengers in the UK could be travelling in vehicles with no human chauffeur as soon as next year.
The clip has divided motorists on social media, with some accusing the Waymo car of breaking the rules and others insisting its actions were in line with the Highway Code.
‘Driverless cars coming to a Town/City near you and this is with a driver whilst on trial,’ one wrote beneath the video posted on July 27.
This is the moment a self-driving Waymo car stops at a green light and then passes by a red light sparking a fiery debate among social media users
While some questioned why the car stopped at a green light others insisted the driverless vehicle had obided by the rules of the Highway Code
Another quipped: ‘The lights had turned red, the robo car was standing on red, then just chose to go on a red.
‘Once deciding on standing there, the car should stay until green.’
But others have argued the driverless vehicle was following the right procedure according to Rule H3 of the Highway Code.
In this rule, it outlines that drivers turning left must give way to a cyclist riding straight ahead in a cycle track, lane or on the main road.
This states drivers turning left must give way to a cyclist travelling straight ahead in a cycle lane, cycle track, or on the main road.
‘This was the correct action. You do not turn left when there is a cyclist on your inside,’ one wrote.
A social media user chimed in: ‘The robo car followed the actual rules of the road. You do not turn left when there is a cyclist on the inside.’
Another added: ‘Didn’t run the red light. The first stop line is the stop line for cars.’
The fleet, which has become a familiar sight on London’s streets, has come under scrutiny in recent months.
In May, residents were left furious after a Waymo car woke them up at 4am after becoming stuck on their road,
One complained about the car, which tried to drive down a dead-end road three times in one week.
Chris, from London, posted footage showing the white SUV-style car mounting the curb of the cobbled road as it gingerly attempted to reverse the length of the street.
But far from learning from its mistake, by Wednesday night the same thing had happened twice more.
The firm, which already operates a completely driverless service in San Francisco, Miami and Atlanta, announced in January that 24 vehicles would roam London for testing and street mapping purposes.
Meanwhile, one of the driverless cars ploughed into a taped-off crime scene in Harlesden, west London, just a month before.
At the time, the American firm boiled the incident down to a driver error.
The Daily Mail has approached Waymo for comment.
