A routine late night ride to the hospital turned into an extraordinary moment when a pregnant woman gave birth inside a self driving taxi operated by Waymo while travelling to the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. Both the mother and the newborn reached the hospital safely, making it one of the rarest real world incidents involving autonomous vehicles.
The incident occurred late Monday night on December 11, 2025, when the woman booked a Waymo autonomous taxi after going into labor. She was heading to UCSF Medical Center when her contractions intensified rapidly during the ride. Before the vehicle could reach the hospital, she delivered her baby in the back seat of the moving car.
Waymo said its remote rider support team noticed unusual activity inside the vehicle through onboard sensors and immediately contacted the passenger. Once the team confirmed that she was in active labor, they alerted emergency services while allowing the vehicle to continue driving toward the hospital.
Despite emergency services being notified, the self driving taxi reached UCSF Medical Center before ambulances arrived. Hospital staff received the mother and newborn immediately upon arrival. A UCSF spokesperson confirmed that both were stable and doing well after delivery. The woman has not made any public statement since the incident.
After completing the trip, Waymo removed the vehicle from service and carried out a thorough cleaning and inspection, following standard safety and hygiene protocols. The company confirmed that while such incidents are extremely rare, this was not the first time a baby had been born in one of its vehicles.
In a statement issued on December 12, Waymo said it was proud to be a trusted ride during important life moments. The company noted that its service has carried passengers of all ages, including newborns, and highlighted the role of its support systems in responding quickly to unexpected situations.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, operates self driving taxi services in several US cities including San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and parts of Silicon Valley. The company has completed millions of rides in 2025 as autonomous transport continues to expand.
(Rh/ARC)
