Driverless Cars Have Come to San Antonio. Here’s How to Share the Road

Published on March 13, 2026

At first glance, it looks like something from a futuristic Ghostbusters movie: a driverless vehicle from Waymo cruising the streets of San Antonio. Just in time for Spring Break, the Alamo City joins a handful of U.S. cities offering Waymo service. For now, rides are available only to people using the Waymo app.

The vehicles may not have a person behind the wheel, but they do have a 360-degree view of what’s happening around the all-electric vehicle: using lidar, radar, and cameras to detect pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and traffic lights.

With no driver behind the wheel to make eye contact, how should the rest of us interact with driverless cars? New technology means we all need to be mindful about how we drive, walk, and bike around these vehicles.

Cyclists

The vehicle tracks your speed, movement, and hand signals. Ride predictably, avoid sudden lane changes, use bike lanes when available, and signal your turns.

Pedestrians

Driverless vehicles are designed to detect people at the curb, in crosswalks, or entering a street. The safest place to cross is still a marked crosswalk.

Drivers

Give the vehicle some space. Avoid cutting it off and don’t tailgate. If the vehicle’s sensors detect something odd, it may stop. When that happens, drivers may need to safely go around it.

Whatever you do, don’t approach or touch the vehicle. Remember, it’s a computer. Unexpected interactions can confuse the system or create a safety risk. You may get hurt when it suddenly starts moving again.

Waymo’s reports that after 127 million miles driven, its technology has demonstrated strong safety performance. But like any new technology, autonomous vehicles are still evolving.

More than ever, we have to share the road.