A content creator’s video went viral on TikTok after showing a scary ride in a Waymo self-driving car that drove straight into a flooded area. The incident has made many people say they will never trust the service. Waymo has been running its ride-hailing service since 2018.
According to Motor1, the video was posted by JoJo (@hollyhoodjojo) and showed the car driving through water that was almost reaching the window. “This area flooded, and my car is driving in the middle of it,” the rider said in the video. JoJo, who lives in Atlanta, wrote “I think Waymo got some work to do still” with the post. Despite the scary experience, the rider reached their destination safely.
Waymo responded to clear things up. A company spokesperson said the original rider was actually from San Francisco, not the Atlanta creator who shared the video. He posted the video on X. The company said its system handled the situation correctly. The car briefly drove into a flooded parking lot near Oyster Point Marina but quickly made a three-point turn and left the flooded area on its own.
The technology can detect water but deep floods remain dangerous
Waymo cars can handle some water, but deep flooding is very risky. The vehicles use multiple sensors and AI to tell the difference between a small puddle and a real danger. The Waymo Driver is built to detect flooded roads ahead of time, stop before entering deep water, and turn around.
The cars also have sensors that work while in water. The spokesperson explained that if the car enters a flooded road, extra triggers make it stop instead of going further. This happened in the viral video. Waymo cars share information about flooding, so if one car finds high water, other nearby cars can change their routes automatically.
@hollyhoodjojo Ya know, didn’t expect my @waymo to drive into a flooded lot but it still got me to my destination safely at least
♬ original sound – Hollyhoodjojo#Waymo #Atlanta #RobotCar
Deep floods are dangerous for any vehicle, especially electric ones where water can damage electrical parts and cause problems. Waymo often stops service or changes routes during heavy storms in cities like San Francisco and Phoenix.
While the cars might be able to drive through shallow flooded areas, Waymo limits driving during heavy rain because sensors are not perfect and damage risks are high. In other wild incidents, some people have come up with creative excuses for their actions when things go wrong on the road.
People who watched the video on TikTok were shocked the car drove into water that looked deep enough to cover the whole vehicle. One person commented “You need to be Waymo concerned…,” while another asked “Why does someone order a Waymo? Is it cheaper than Uber/Lyft or is it for the thrills?”
Many viewers said experiences like this are why they will not ride in a Waymo. One viewer joked “seeing this immediately after the waymo traffic jam caused by waymo cars, yeah I’m never getting in one of these things.”
Waymo turned into oncoming traffic on the way to work.
— Jake Glaser | LA Multifamily (@LAMultiBroker) January 31, 2025
It sat there confused for 45 seconds with its hazards on.
Then it proceeded to back up into oncoming traffic.
And they’re about to let these guys on the freeway
Trust issues with technology are not uncommon, just like parents using unusual tactics with children that spark debates online. Even though Waymo said the car did everything right, the viral video shows that self-driving technology still has to deal with the messy and unpredictable real world.
