If a driverless car stops unexpectedly, use the vehicle’s help control or ride app, tell the operator whether the car is blocking traffic, and follow its instructions. Stay inside during an ordinary stop unless the operator or emergency responders tell you otherwise. If there is a collision, fire, injury, or immediate danger, call your local emergency number and move to safety only if you can do so safely.
What to do first
- Check for immediate danger. If there has been a collision, someone is injured, there is smoke or fire, the vehicle is in a dangerous position, or someone has an urgent medical need, call the local emergency number. In the United States, call 911. Give the dispatcher your location, the vehicle description, its direction of travel, and any immediate hazards. Tesla’s collision guidance likewise says to call 911 if anyone involved needs emergency assistance. Tesla Robotaxi Help.
- Contact the operator through the vehicle or app. Look for a Help or Support control on the vehicle display or in the ride app. Tesla Robotaxi, for example, tells passengers to tap Support on the touchscreen or in the app if a ride stops unexpectedly. Explain whether the car is fully stopped, whether it is obstructing traffic, and whether anyone needs help. Follow the representative’s directions.
- Stay inside unless staying there is more dangerous. A delay alone is not a reason to step into traffic. Check the vehicle’s instructions and consider its position, surrounding traffic, weather, smoke, and fire. If leaving would put you in moving traffic, stay inside while seeking help. If the cabin becomes unsafe, exit only if you can reach a safer place without entering traffic or another hazard.
- If the car is blocking traffic, say so clearly. Tell the operator and emergency services that the vehicle is in a travel lane or creating another road hazard. Do not try to push, steer, restart, or repair the vehicle. A control called Pull Over is not an invitation to steer it yourself.
- Record details once the situation is safe. Note the operator, date and time, location, what happened, whether the car obstructed traffic, and any trip reference or support case number. Avoid sharing another passenger’s personal information.
Ordinary stop or emergency?
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Unexpected stop, with no immediate danger | Contact the operator through the vehicle or app. Generally remain inside unless the operator instructs you otherwise. |
| Vehicle stopped in a lane or creating a road hazard | Tell the operator and emergency services the precise hazard and location. Do not attempt to move the vehicle yourself. |
| Collision, injury, fire, smoke, or urgent medical need | Call the local emergency number. Leave the vehicle only if the cabin is unsafe and you can get to a safer place without entering another hazard. |
These are different situations: advice to move away from a collision hazard is not a general instruction to get out of a stalled robotaxi. In its collision guidance, Tesla says to exit and move to a safe area only if you can do so safely; its unexpected-stop guidance says to stay inside unless instructed otherwise. Tesla Robotaxi Help.
What Tesla Robotaxi’s controls do
Tesla’s passenger instructions are one operator’s example, not a universal procedure. Tesla says to tap Support on the touchscreen or in the Robotaxi app for help with an unexpected stop, and to remain inside unless instructed otherwise. It also says Pull Over ends the ride by stopping at the nearest safe location and connecting the passenger with a representative through the touchscreen. These published controls and descriptions apply to Tesla Robotaxi; another service may use different controls, and they do not guarantee what will happen in every fault condition. Tesla Robotaxi Help.
Why you should not try to move the car
Do not push, steer, restart, disengage, or repair a driverless vehicle unless an authorized responder specifically directs you. California’s responder-plan rules address how responders may contact a remote operator, identify whether autonomous mode is active, and safely remove a vehicle from the roadway or disengage that mode where possible. Those are provisions for responder planning, not permission for passengers to intervene. California DMV adopted regulatory text.
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U.S. DOJ COPS Office guidance also describes how first responders interact with automated vehicles and the need to identify them, signal a stop, and ensure they remain stationary. It is responder guidance, not a passenger operating procedure. DOJ COPS Office: How To Stop a Self-Driving Car.
Robotaxi advice does not apply to every car with automation
“Self-driving” is used loosely. A driverless ride service is not the same as a personal car with driver assistance. NHTSA distinguishes assistance features and automation that still require a human driver to remain available from Level 4 automation, which performs the driving task within limited service areas while occupants act as passengers. If you are driving a personal vehicle, continue to follow its instructions and your responsibility to drive; do not assume you can wait as a passenger because a feature is engaged. NHTSA: Automated Vehicle Safety.
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How to report the incident afterward
After immediate safety needs are handled, keep the trip or support reference and your notes. In California, the DMV accepts reports about autonomous-vehicle incidents on California public roads. Its incident-reporting page also directs safety complaints to NHTSA’s Automated Vehicle Complaint Form and lists the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Check the agency page for current reporting instructions and contact details. These California reporting routes are geographically specific. California DMV: Autonomous Vehicles Incident Reporting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who to contact when the car will not move
- For an ordinary stoppage: the ride operator, using the in-vehicle support control or app.
- For immediate danger, injury, fire, or a hazardous road position: local emergency services; give the operator the same hazard information when possible.
- For a later safety report: the relevant transport or vehicle-safety authority in your location. California residents can use the DMV and NHTSA routes described above.
Emergency numbers, reporting systems, and operator procedures differ by location and service. Use the local emergency number and the current instructions for the specific vehicle you are riding in.
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