zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Automobile information
/
Honking robotaxis are keeping residents awake at night
Honking robotaxis are keeping residents awake at night-November 2024
2024-08-12 EDT 21:17:17

There are lots of noises to keep you awake at night when you live in a big city. Think busy traffic, police sirens, barking dogs, driverless cars. Wait driverless cars?!?

Well, for folks in the San Francisco neighborhood of South of Market, autonomous cars do indeed appear to be a problem. Or, more specifically, autonomous cars honking.

The noisy vehicles are operated by Waymo, a leader in the field of self-driving vehicles that has been testing its robocars in the city for many years, and more recently has been offering ridesharing services to customers as part of a trial service.

According to residents who spoke to a local news outlet, the problem started a few weeks ago when Waymo started using a parking lot in South of Market for its driverless cars.

We started out with a couple of honks here and there, and then as more and more cars started to arrive, the situation got worse, local resident Christopher Cherry told NBC Bay Area News.

Cherry said the noise level varies through the night, but added that the honking is usually at its worst at around 4 a.m. and during evening rush hour times.

Its very distracting during the work day, but most importantly it wakes you up at four in the morning, Cherry said.

According to videos taken by residents in the neighborhood, the honking seems to start when a Waymo car arrives at the lot and reverses into a parking spot. Its this maneuver that seems to trigger nearby Waymo cars to start honking, but its not clear why.

Cherry described the incessant honking as absurd as the vehicles are essentially robots on wheels and theres no one inside any of them.

Another described the situation as frustrating as there was no one around to report the problem to, though Cherry said he had contacted Waymo to inform them of the nuisance honking.

The Alphabet-owned company said that it is aware that in some scenarios its robocars may briefly honk while navigating our parking lots, adding that it has identified the cause and are in the process of implementing a fix.

Now if only someone could sort out the busy traffic, police sirens, and barking dogs, too

   Editors Recommendations

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Automobile information
Volkswagen Lamando L Revealed but Sadly Its China-Only
Volkswagen Lamando L Revealed but Sadly Its China-Only
The Volkswagen Lamando is proof that the sedan body style is not quite dead. This rather good-looking car is the Volkswagen Lamando L and while there are some visual similarities between it and the striking Peugeot 508, there’s nothing shared mechanically between them. It’s a sedan but not quite...
Nov 4, 2025
Spy Shots: New Ford Mustang in the Making
Spy Shots: New Ford Mustang in the Making
Ford is developing an all-new Ford Mustang which is expected to be revealed this year.  The Mustang is a huge money-spinner for Ford and it has consistently been crowned as the world’s best-selling sports car. Production for right-hand-drive markets has contributed to the Mustang’s overall success and it has...
Nov 4, 2025
GWM Tank 100 to Take on Jimny
GWM Tank 100 to Take on Jimny
The GWM Tank 100 has leaked early and looks to be pitched directly at the Suzuki Jimny.  Update: So it turns out that the images you see here are in fact cheeky Photoshop efforts and not the real GWM Tank 100. It has yet to be revealed, so we’ll...
Nov 4, 2025
Porsche 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design – Price for SA
Porsche 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design – Price for SA
Porsche Design, the Stuttgart firm’s lifestyle brand,  is marking its 50th Anniversary this year and to celebrate, a very special and rare Porsche 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design is being offered to customers, including South Africa.  Keen to own a rare Porsche 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design? Well, you’d...
Nov 4, 2025
High-Performance Golf on the Way?
High-Performance Golf on the Way?
A teaser image suggesting a high-performance Volkswagen Golf is due to be revealed soon, but what could it be? The current Volkswagen Golf family has something for everyone. The standard Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI offers a great blend of performance, luxury, and tech, while the all-wheel-drive Golf 8 R...
Nov 4, 2025
EVs more popular than diesel in Europe
EVs more popular than diesel in Europe
Diesel is rapidly disappearing in the European product matrix. In new luxury vehicles, Rudolf Diesel’s engine technology might soon become a rarity. Once the industry darling in terms of powertrain, turbodiesels are being rapidly displaced in most passenger car segments. The latest data from Europe is a stark indication...
Nov 4, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved