Woman Has A Baby In A Waymo Robotaxi

People giving birth in cars is nothing new, but doing it in a car without a human driver is a new twist. It happened in San Francisco earlier this week, when a woman had a baby inside a Waymo robotaxi, reports KRON4. She was already in labor and on her way to the University of California San Francisco Hospital when things took an unexpected turn.

Waymo's Rider Support Team detected "unusual activity" inside the robotaxi, which is certainly one way to describe what was going on here. The team made contact with the rider, quickly figured out what was going on, and called 911 on her behalf. However, the Waymo car arrived safely at the hospital with one additional passenger before emergency services could intercept it. University of California San Francisco Hospital spokesperson Jess Berthold confirmed the woman and baby's arrival to NBC News. She also said the new mother is not available for interviews, so we know nothing more about who she is, how she and her baby are doing, or whether she named the baby Waymo to commemorate the unusual birth location.

Waymo gave the following statement to NBC News, KRON4, and other media outlets: "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." Additionally, Waymo says it immediately removed this vehicle from service for cleaning. I'd take this as a given, but appreciate the confirmation.

Robotaxis are far from perfect, due to safety issues like failing to stop for school buses and casually cruising through a felony stop, to innocent technological mishaps like a three-way standoff, perhaps inspired by the Spider-Man pointing meme or the end of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." But data has proven Waymo robotaxis to be generally safer than human drivers, with one doctor calling them "a public health breakthrough." That would seem to be the case here, as the robotaxi was not distracted at all from its task of driving safely during the birth. No human driver could remain as focused on driving, unless you're this guy. The Waymo car also didn't drive faster or take unnecessary chances, as many human drivers do at times like this. An ambulance would've been the best choice, but considering how expensive they are, a Waymo might just be a reasonable alternative in unreasonable times. I'll bet they don't even charge extra for the additional passenger.