Moment 'self-driving' Waymo stops at a green light then 'runs a red'... but is it in the wrong?

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:18, 30 July 2026 | Updated: 01:18, 30 July 2026 This is the moment a self-driving Waymo car stops at a green light and then passes by a red light - but drivers have argued it is, in fact, not in the wrong. In a brief 39-second clip shared to X, the driverless car can be seen cruising down a busy London street. But despite a traffic light with a green signal, the motor comes to a stop as a cyclist - to its left - rides by. Then, when the light appears to turn red, the car continues its journey and heads down a road to the left. The incident is said to have transpired at around 8.15am on July 24 as driverless taxis are set to hit British roads amid a trial period. Waymo is currently testing its fleet of distinctive white Jaguar vehicles, which are designed to offer a completely autonomous, self-driving taxi service. And if they are successful, riders may be driven by chauffeurless vehicles as early as next year. The video has sparked a fiery debate online between motorists, with some insisting the Waymo was wrong, while others claim it followed 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 @metpoliceuk super clever robo car LD73PHM stops on green light in cycle box, waits for light to go red, then drives on through the red 😂 Cyclists carry on as usual. 08:15 Thursday 24th July 2026 pic.twitter.com/daZhgZVJ7g 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.