Waymos Honking

Do robotaxis honk? The answer is yes. Two videos show this, one recorded by the passengers, when it not only honked on its own, but also reversed so as not to obstruct a parking car.

Last night our driverless car honked at a car with a driver in it and I lost my mind!! 🤯 @Waymo https://t.co/vQnLGGbwkH pic.twitter.com/oVbMuCvDmY

— The Kilowatts 🚗⚡️ (@klwtts) August 6, 2024

In response to this video, another example came from a Waymo employee showing a Waymo honking at a San Francisco garbage collection vehicle because it started backing up in front of the Waymo.

We get this a lot 😀. The @Waymo Driver does indeed honk when necessary! Here’s an example where a garbage truck in SF began reversing towards our vehicle. The Driver automatically honked and reversed to make way for the truck before moving on. https://t.co/tuNrtx9qGB pic.twitter.com/v0IGgljHoc

— Saswat Panigrahi (@saswat101) August 7, 2024

This is not a new function at all, as Google had already reported test vehicle honking in 2016. Acoustic signals are also an important safety feature for other manufacturers. Zoox vehicles also honk their horns and make themselves more recognizable through noise.

This article was also published in German.