Terrifying crashes, baffling trips, broken traffic laws — yet Waymo is driving critics crazy by escaping tickets

Nypost · Aug 07, 2026 · 896 words · By Rebecca Borg

AV Safety vs. Human Safety Regulatory Failure Corporate accountability

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What to know about AV Safety vs. Human Safety

Terrifying crashes, baffling trips, broken traffic laws — yet Waymo is driving critics crazy by escaping tickets See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 19

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left17%

Center66%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Terrifying crashes, baffling trips, broken traffic laws — yet Waymo is driving critics crazy by escaping tickets See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on Google Waymo robotaxis have escaped a single enforcement notice in Los Angeles during the first month California police were given the power to cite autonomous vehicle companies for traffic violations.

Common ground

This is despite a string of viral incidents showing the driverless cars blocking roads, trapping motorists and breaking traffic laws.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole, Cherry Picking: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this AV Safety vs. Human Safety story?
Which Republicans are objecting, and are they challenging the policy details or Trump's negotiating posture?
How does this story connect AV Safety vs. Human Safety with Regulatory Failure over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/07/us-news/lapd-issues-zero-traffic-fines-to-waymo-in…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Cherry Picking 70% confidence

Selectively presenting evidence that supports one side while ignoring contrary evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing cherry picking helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 19 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 9

info Single Source 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

check_circle Corroborated 2

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Claim 1: “Earlier this year, a collision involving a passenger vehicle on West Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles just before 5:54 p.m. left one person with suspected minor injuries.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “Last year saw the largest number of incidents... with 589 reported collisions recorded.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “Los Angeles followed with 344, Santa Monica with 28, Culver City and Inglewood with 16 each, and Mountain View with 12.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “Overall, almost 8% of Waymo crashes in California have left pedestrians, passengers and people in other vehicles with possible injuries, according to the DMV Autonomous Vehicle Crash Dashboard.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “there have been at least 1,356 incidents involving the autonomous vehicle brand on California roads during the past five years.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the specific number of 1,356 incidents involving Waymo in California over the past five years.

info

Claim 6: “In 2017, San Francisco police handed out 2,600 traffic citations to drivers in downtown San Francisco between April and June.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific figure of 2,600 citations in downtown SF between April and June 2017 is mentioned in one web search result, but not corroborated by other independent sources in the provided evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2020 United States Census reported that San Francisco had a population of 873,965—an increase from the 2010 Census count of 805,235. The 2022 Census Bureau American Community Survey put the popula…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_San_Francisco

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Giants

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Streets of San Francisco is an American crime drama television series filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, with the first season produced in association with Warner Br…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Streets_of_San_Francisco

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 7: “In May, a woman was trapped in her vehicle for nearly 50 minutes after two Waymos cut her off and refused to move at a traffic light, forcing her to call 911.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general definitions of the month of May and general information about Waymo and Robotaxis; no specific report of a woman trapped for 50 minutes in May was found in the evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A robotaxi, also known as robot taxi, robo-taxi, self-driving taxi or driverless taxi, is an autonomous car (SAE automation level 4 or 5) operated for a ridesharing company. Consultancy firms predict …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotaxi

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Waymo LLC ( WAY-moh) is an American autonomous driving technology company headquartered in Mountain View, California. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company. As of June 2026, Way…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waymo

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding Limited, trading as Zeekr Group (Chinese: 极氪集团), is a Chinese automobile company. It is wholly owned by Geely Automobile Holdings. Zeekr was founded in 2021 as a s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeekr

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “San Francisco topped the list of California cities with the most incidents, recording 848 reported Waymo collisions during the past five years.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 9: “a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found Waymos were involved in fewer crashes than human drivers”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for an IIHS study comparing Waymo crash rates to human drivers.

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Claim 10: “The month before, a Waymo went off-script by entering a restaurant drive-thru the wrong way before picking up a passenger.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm a Waymo vehicle entered a drive-thru the wrong way. One source specifically mentions a social media video from April 4 showing a Waymo facing the wrong direction in a restaurant's drive-thru lane, and another mentions a Waymo getting stuck in a drive-thru.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Waymo Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid undergoing testing in the San Francisco Bay Area.A Waymo car got stuck in a drive-thru.[296][297][298]. A Waymo passenger reported being trapped in the car after it drov…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waymo

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In April, an unoccupied Waymo robotaxi drove into floodwaters in San Antonio and was swept into a creek during severe storms. According to Reuters and regulatory filings, the vehicle detected the stan…
https://dallasexpress.com/opinion/waymos-robotaxi-problem-is…

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web search NEUTRAL — Part of the moment was captured in a social media video published on Saturday, April 4. TikTok user Alyson Aranda shared a clip of a Waymo vehicle stopped and facing the wrong direction in the restaur…
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/waymo-san-an…

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Claim 11: “the autonomous vehicle company began commercial operations in California, starting in San Francisco in August 2023.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 12: “The new regulations, which took effect July 1, allow law enforcement to issue non-compliance notices to autonomous vehicle manufacturers for traffic offenses.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the context of the other claims suggests this regulation exists, the provided evidence for this specific claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about California and the state portal, which do not explicitly detail the July 1 regulation regarding non-compliance notices.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 AV Alta FC season is the second season in the club's existence as well as their second in USL League One, the third-tier of American soccer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_AV_Alta_FC_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and lan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_AV-8B_Harrie…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shangri-La is a recording studio in Malibu, California, currently owned by record producer Rick Rubin. Originally a ranch property with a bungalow owned by actress Margo, it was leased by The Band in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangri-La_(recording_studio)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “Manufacturers testing autonomous vehicles must report every collision involving one of their cars that results in property damage, bodily injury or death to the DMV.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 14: “Waymo robotaxis have escaped a single enforcement notice in Los Angeles during the first month California police were given the power to cite autonomous vehicle companies for traffic violations.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results explicitly state that Waymo robotaxis escaped a single enforcement notice in Los Angeles during the first month of the new regulations.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The year 2024 involved several major events in California.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_in_California

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On June 6, 2025, protests began in Los Angeles after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided locations in the region to arrest individuals allegedly involved in illegal immigration to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2025_Los_Angeles_protests…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 15: “Of that figure, 1,700 were given to rideshare drivers for violations including illegally driving in bus lanes, obstructing traffic and making illegal U-turns.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of Wikipedia entries for the year 1700 and the 1700s decade, which are irrelevant to rideshare citations in 2017.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — As of the start of 1700, the Gregorian calendar was 10 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1700

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The 1700s decade ran from January 1, 1700, to December 31, 1709. The decade is marked by a shift in the political structure of the Indian subcontinent, and the decline of the Mughal Empire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1700s_(decade)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Historical events from year 1700. Learn about 22 famous, scandalous and important events that happened in 1700 or search by date or keyword.
https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1700

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Claim 16: “has resumed freeway driving trials that were previously paused after the cars failed to recognize highway construction zones.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 17: “Uber and Lyft... were scrutinized and slapped with $20,000 fines for violations of the Public Utilities Code, including operating as passenger carriers without authorization, during their first few years of operation.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided includes general timelines of Uber and descriptions of the CPUC, but does not mention specific $20,000 fines for Public Utilities Code violations during their early years.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC or PUC) is a regulatory agency that regulates privately owned public utilities in the state of California, including electric power, telecommunications…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Public_Utilities_Co…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is the public utility commission in Pennsylvania. It is composed of five commissioners, which are appointed by the governor with the consent of the Pennsy…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Public_Utility_Co…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a timeline of Uber, which offers a variety of transportation and logistics services and is an early example of the rise of the sharing economy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Uber

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 18: “DMV records show the Los Angeles Police Department did not issue a single non-compliance notice to Waymo LLC or any other robotaxi company in the first month of the new regulations.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is explicitly stated in one web search result citing 'The California Post' regarding DMV records, but no other independent source confirms this specific DMV data.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The California Post can reveal DMV records show the Los Angeles Police Department did not issue a single non-compliance notice to Waymo LLC or any other robotaxi company in the first month of the new …
https://nypost.com/2026/08/07/us-news/lapd-issues-zero-traff…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In my first life, I tried to become the perfect daughter for people who had already chosen someone e. Pearl Novel. 7.6K 3d ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6D4riUa3eI

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Chinese autonomous driving company WeRide (NASDAQ: WRD) has announced its entry into Denmark, becoming the first Chinese robotaxi company to move into the Nordic region.
https://cnevpost.com/2026/08/03/weride-enters-denmark/

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Claim 19: “Waymo currently operates on local roads across Los Angeles and San Francisco”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.