This can include temporary lane closures, diversions, and situations where a police officer is directing traffic with hand signals. The latter is now something Waymo's autonomous cars can deal with.

Watch a Self-Driving Car Obey Police Hand Signals Waymo's autonomous vehicles can be waved through a broken traffic light. / Advanced Transport / Advanced Transport / Autonomous Vehicles / Waymo ...

The technology it’s equipped with is capable of identifying hand signals; it knows when the traffic cop tells it to stop, when it’s being told to move, and it acts accordingly.

In early 2019, Waymo first demonstrated its cars' ability to follow signals from a police officer. But given the latest run-in, the company's software is far from foolproof even over half a decade ...