Every local newsroom has archived footage of high-speed pursuits, the split-second moments when officers, sirens and blocked lanes demand an instant reaction. Traffic safety advocate Amy Witherite, founder of Witherite Law Group, says documented incidents nationwide show autonomous vehicles failing tests in less challenging conditions and is calling on regulators, AV makers to prove these vehicles can address this issue.

“A human driver knows what a flashing light, a raised hand or a barricade means, and reacts instantly. These vehicles are proving, on video, again and again, that they don’t,” said Witherite. “That gap isn’t theoretical. It’s already blocked ambulances, driven into an active shooting scene, and put a passenger within feet of a felony stop. The question isn’t whether it will happen again, it’s when and where.”

Witherite is available to discuss what these incidents mean for public safety and rider liability. Documented cases with video include:

• San Francisco: a Waymo fleeing police through a construction zone on Highway 101 (CBS News, ABC7, raw video)

• Los Angeles: a Waymo driving within feet of an armed felony stop after officers ordered it away (NBC News)

• Atlanta: a Waymo bypassing barricades into an active shooting scene, requiring an officer to move it (11Alive)

• Austin: a Waymo blocking an ambulance and crossing into a police line of fire during a mass shooting response (TheStreet)

“In each case, the vehicle had seconds to read an emergency signal and instead defaulted to ordinary traffic behavior at the moment a human driver would yield,” Witherite said.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has asked California regulators to set new AV standards for emergencies. On July 8, 2026, NHTSA directed all AV makers, including Waymo and Tesla, to fix the defect causing their vehicles to ignore emergencies.

“Regulators are catching up to what these videos already show,” Witherite added. “Until these companies can prove their vehicles reliably yield to responders, cities should be asking hard questions before expanding these fleets.”

ABOUT AMY WITHERITE / WITHERITE LAW GROUP

Amy Witherite is a traffic safety advocate and founder of Witherite Law Group, a personal injury law firm representing victims of motor vehicle and trucking accidents. Witherite has been a vocal advocate for autonomous vehicle safety standards and public accountability as AV fleets expand into new markets nationwide.

Amy Witherite is available for interviews.

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