A mass robotaxi outage in the Chinese city of Wuhan caused at least a hundred self-driving cars to stop mid-traffic, sparking renewed debate around the safety of driverless vehicles. Local police reported that a system malfunction was behind the incident that occurred Tuesday. Videos trending on social media documented this outage, with one showing a collision on a highway, although authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported and passengers were safely evacuated.

Baidu, which operates the Apollo Go driverless taxi service, has yet to comment on the malfunction, and the police statement emphasized that the exact causes are still under investigation. Apollo Go currently operates in dozens of cities, primarily in China. The incident comes amidst broader discussions about self-driving technology, its risks, and regulatory challenges. Experts note that while autonomous vehicles may statistically be safer than human drivers, unique malfunctions like this present new types of risks that need to be addressed.

Moreover, this isn't the first technology-related issue self-driving cars have faced; just months earlier, a power outage in San Francisco immobilized Waymo taxis, causing significant traffic jams. As autonomous driving technology evolves, the focus on safety and reliability becomes more critical.