Producer and actress Mikayla Petrilla recently shared alarming footage of her Waymo ride running a red light. The incident occurred last week when the self-driving car approached a traffic light that turned yellow. Instead of slowing down, the vehicle continued across the intersection as the light changed to red, prompting passengers to yell in alarm.

Luckily, no one was injured this time. However, this kind of behavior from automated vehicles appears to be part of an ongoing pattern.

### Yellow Doesn’t Mean Drive Faster, Waymo

In a seven-second TikTok video, Petrilla (@heyitsmikayy) captured and narrated the unsettling event as her Waymo “went rogue.”

“Are you gonna run it?” she asked the car.
“You’re running the light! You’re running the light! You just ran the light!”

There’s no ambiguity here — the light turns yellow while the car is still quite far from the intersection, giving it ample time to stop. Instead, the vehicle maintained speed, and the light turned red before they were even halfway across.

For drivers, running a red light like this usually means getting pulled over — assuming a police officer witnesses it. Even in states with “permissive” yellow light laws, your front bumper must cross the intersection before the light turns red for it to be legal. California, where this incident reportedly took place, is not one of those states.

According to the California DMV, vehicles are required to stop at a yellow light if it is safe to do so.

@heyitsmikayy
Driverless cars, am I right?
#car #waymo #losangeles #carsoftiktok
♬ original sound Mikayla

### Ongoing Issues with Waymo

This incident is far from Waymo’s only recent problem. Back in May, a recall of over 1,200 Waymo vehicles went into effect—months after Google claimed to have addressed the underlying issue in December 2024. The timeline and responses have raised questions about the reliability and transparency of the tech giant’s efforts.

In California, malfunctioning Waymo vehicles have become such a nuisance that recent anti-ICE (internal combustion engine) protests incorporated these self-driving cars alongside vehicles on fire.

### “Waymo Should Have Chosen the Safest Option”

The video’s comments reveal that Mikayla Petrilla is not the only passenger to experience troubling behavior from Waymo’s self-driving taxis.

@melrosemaker shared:
“Yesterday, mine sped up at a yellow light, ran a red, switched lanes in the middle of the intersection, and actually beat another car in a race. I was shocked.”

Another user, @lotsofgoldenlily, revealed a bizarre experience:
“My Waymo went around a turning circle 5 times once.”

Some viewers debated whether or not Petrilla’s Waymo actually ran a red light, but many agreed that the autonomous vehicles should prioritize caution over convenience.

TikToker @pandakrystal_ commented:
“Regardless of whether it is legal, Waymo should have chosen the safest option, which is slowing down.”

This perspective sparked further reflection from Petrilla herself, who responded:
“This is what I’m here to say, yes!! It is extremely unclear how sharp the reflexes of the car are if there’s an issue at the intersection. If there was an accident, I don’t even know the protocol and the website does not state either! Do I invite the person we hit into the Waymo to talk to customer service?”

### Final Thoughts

As autonomous vehicle technology continues to evolve, incidents like this highlight the need for greater transparency, safer programming decisions, and clearer protocols for dealing with accidents or malfunctions.

Whether you’re a supporter of self-driving cars or a cautious skeptic, videos like Mikayla Petrilla’s serve as important reminders that the road to fully autonomous vehicles remains a work in progress.
https://www.dailydot.com/news/passenger-films-her-waymo-running-a-red-light/