Quick Answer
After a crash with a driverless vehicle in Texas, stop, check for injuries and move to safety when the vehicles can be driven. Record the vehicle’s plate, company markings, location and time. Contact the company operating it to exchange information, report the crash to your insurer and preserve your own photos and video. A driverless vehicle still has duties after a collision, even when no one is behind the wheel.
Imagine driving along the highway when you’re struck by another vehicle. Jarred, you pull over and get out to confront the driver. Except, when you get to the window to exchange information you see nobody in the driver’s seat.
This is a real scenario that will continue to play out with a higher frequency as Waymo, Tesla, Nuro, Aurora, and other full self driving (FSD) operators expand their fleets on the road. Waymo began limited public rides in Houston in February 2026. Tesla lists Houston among its Robotaxi service areas, and Aurora operates driverless freight between Dallas and Houston. For many, this raises the obvious question: “who am I supposed to talk to?”
We have covered what happens when an automated vehicle complicates an emergency response. This guide addresses the most important person in the crash: you, the “other” driver. What are you supposed to do whether the automated vehicle struck you or you struck it and how do you exchange information when its cab is empty?
On This Page
- First, handle the crash and get out of danger
- How to exchange information when nobody is driving
- A Tesla using FSD is different from a driverless Robotaxi
- What to record after a crash with a driverless truck
- What if you struck the automated vehicle?
- Preserve the records that can explain the crash
- How insurance and injury claims work
- Frequently asked questions
- Talk to a Houston car accident lawyer
First, handle the crash and get out of danger
The other vehicle’s technology does not change your immediate responsibilities. Stop, check whether anyone needs help and call 911 if someone is injured. This is especially relevant if the other vehicle is a robotaxi. Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550, a driver involved in a collision that results in injury, or was reasonably likely to do so, must stop and determine whether someone needs aid and remain until the required duties are completed.
If the collision caused only vehicle damage, move out of active traffic when you can do so safely. Texas has a specific rule for collisions on metropolitan freeways: when every involved vehicle can be normally and safely driven, its operator must move it to a suitable location to exchange information. That being said: You can move your own car; but it is not your duty to move a robotaxi or a driverless truck. If the automated vehicle is disabled or blocking traffic, tell the dispatcher where it stopped and get to safety.
Once you are safe, photograph both vehicles, their license plates, damage, lane positions if visible, traffic signals and nearby street signs. Record the time and exact location. Get witness names and numbers – all of the standard directions. Do not stand in a live lane to get a better photograph.
However, do not assume an automated vehicle will stay exactly where the impact occurred. Waymo says one of its cars may continue to a safer place before stopping. If the vehicle moves away, note its plate, travel direction and the time, then give that information to the dispatcher or responding officer. It is not recommended to follow the vehicle through traffic.
How to exchange information when nobody is driving
Texas law addresses the empty driver’s seat directly. Under Transportation Code Section 545.457 (enacted Sept. 1, 2025), after a collision involving an automated motor vehicle, the vehicle, a person acting on its behalf or any human driver of that vehicle must comply with the state’s collision duties. A fleet cannot treat the absence of a person at the wheel as an exemption from Chapter 550.
At the scene, look for the fleet’s name and contact instructions on the vehicle. Tell the company you were involved in a collision, give the location and time, ask how to obtain its insurance information, and keep a record of the conversation or online submission. Provide your own identifying and insurance information as required. A passenger in a robotaxi is a person to check on after a crash, but may not be able to speak for the company or give you its insurance details.
If the vehicle is a Waymo: Its collision instructions for other involved parties list 1-844-263-9885, an online collision form, a QR code on either front door and insurance@waymo.com. Photograph the plate and use a remote contact option if reaching the door would put you in traffic. Waymo says a person who has exchanged information with its team does not need to wait for a roadside representative to arrive.
If the vehicle is a Tesla Robotaxi: Tesla says someone who was involved in a collision with a Robotaxi, even if they were not riding in it, may use its Robotaxi incident claim form. Its support instructions say the company will follow up after reviewing the form. Save a copy or screenshot of what you submit.
If you cannot identify or reach the operator, document your attempts and tell the responding agency what information you still need. An online form can start a claim; it does not replace getting help for injuries, clearing a dangerous roadway or completing your own duties after the collision.
A Tesla using FSD is different from a driverless Robotaxi
A Tesla does not become an autonomous vehicle simply because it steered or braked before the impact. Tesla says Full Self-Driving (Supervised) requires active driver supervision and does not make a privately owned car autonomous. If a person was driving that car, exchange information with the person and document what they tell you about the driving feature. Do not assume you can determine from the car’s appearance whether FSD was engaged.
Tesla also operates a separate driverless Robotaxi service using Model Y and Cybercab vehicles.
In either case, photograph the vehicle and plate and describe what you saw. Statements such as “the car was driving itself” or “the software caused the crash” may go beyond what anyone at the roadside can know. Whether a feature was engaged, when it disengaged and who controlled the vehicle are questions for the available records.
What to record after a crash with a driverless truck
Driverless freight crashes add a second identification problem: the name on the trailer may differ from the carrier running the truck and the company supplying its driving system. From a safe location, photograph the tractor’s door markings, USDOT number if displayed, both license plates, trailer number and any automated-driving branding. Give those identifiers to the officer and your insurer.
A disabled truck on I-45 can obstruct traffic well beyond the initial impact. Call 911 if anyone is injured, a vehicle cannot safely be driven or the scene creates a highway hazard. Stay clear of the truck while responders and fleet personnel arrange its removal. If your own vehicle needs a tow in Houston, our guide to towing after a car accident explains how to record its destination and protect the evidence inside it.
Our separate article on liability in Texas driverless-truck crashes examines the carrier, authorization holder and system operator in detail. At the scene, your first job is simpler: identify the truck and preserve what you can see before it is moved.
What if you struck the automated vehicle?
Some of these crashes will begin with the human driver’s car striking a robotaxi or a driverless truck. That fact belongs in the report. It does not, by itself, explain why the vehicles came together.
Suppose an automated vehicle stops in an active lane and you hit it from behind. Your speed, following distance and opportunity to brake are important. So is the location of the stop, the vehicle’s lights, traffic conditions and whether it changed lanes or stopped abruptly. The same questions work in reverse when the driverless vehicle hits your car. Record what happened before and after impact rather than assuming the vehicle that made contact was entirely at fault.
Texas courts can assign percentages of responsibility among parties under Chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. If an injured claimant’s share is greater than 50%, that claimant cannot recover under the chapter; a smaller share reduces the recovery. That makes your dashcam footage, witness accounts, photographs and the automated vehicle’s records consequential even when the damages initiall seem straightforward.
Texas also identifies the engaged automated driving system as the vehicle’s operator for traffic-law purposes, with citations directed to the vehicle’s owner or commercial authorization holder. That rule does not automatically decide civil fault in your crash. If you struck the vehicle, contact an attorney and discuss how to present those facts to the insurance company before accepting anyone’s account of why it stopped or moved.
Preserve the records that can explain the crash
Save your dashcam footage as soon as you can, along with original photographs and messages from witnesses. Note any nearby business or home cameras that may have recorded the approach to the crash. Keep the time on your phone or dashcam in mind when matching your files to the fleet’s records; even a few minutes can matter when locating a short video clip.
The automated vehicle may hold evidence that your car cannot: vehicle speed, braking, steering, location and whether its driving system was engaged. A commercial fleet may also have video and records of contacts with its support team. Texas requires an automated motor vehicle operating with its system engaged to carry a recording device.
Unfortunately, Section 547.615 limits who may retrieve information from a recording device and describes circumstances such as owner consent or a court order.
If injuries are serious or fault is contested, an attorney can send a targeted request to preserve available video, driving data and support records. Include the plate, precise time, location and company name. Preservation needs to happen early because the records that answer the central questions may be controlled by the fleet, and their retention periods can differ.
Do not expect a federal crash database to supply the full answer to your individual claim. NHTSA requires identified companies to report certain crashes involving automated systems or Level 2 driver assistance. Those reports have different thresholds, may be incomplete when first filed and are separate from the scene evidence, police report and insurance information you need.
How insurance and injury claims work
Texas requires an automated motor vehicle operating with its driving system engaged to carry liability coverage or self-insurance at least equal to the amount required for that vehicle’s type and use. A commercial operator has separate state authorization requirements. Those rules mean there should be a source of required coverage; they do not mean the fleet’s insurer will accept responsibility simply because its vehicle was involved.
Notify your own insurer and give it the fleet’s name, plate, contact information and any incident number you received. Do not blindly admit fault.
If you believe the automated vehicle caused the crash, ask its insurer or claims team how to submit your claim. The Texas Department of Insurance explains that another party’s insurer may dispute fault or offer only part of a claim. If that happens, ask for the reason in writing and review the coverages available under your own policy.
Keep medical records, repair estimates, towing receipts and communications in one place. Injuries do not have to be apparent at the roadside to deserve attention. Our guide to symptoms that appear days after a car accident explains what to document and when to seek care. If a claim is refused, our article on responding to an insurance denial covers the next steps.
Frequently asked questions
Does a driverless vehicle have to stop after a crash in Texas?
Yes. Section 545.457 requires an automated vehicle, someone acting on its behalf or any human driver of that vehicle to comply with Texas’s collision duties. A vehicle may move to a safer stopping place where appropriate; Waymo specifically tells other involved parties that its vehicle may do so. Record where it went and contact the fleet.
Do I have to wait for a Waymo employee to arrive?
Waymo says you do not need to wait for its roadside representative once you have exchanged information with the company. Complete your own duties under Texas collision law first, and follow any directions from responders at the scene.
Who do I contact if the Tesla had nobody driving?
If it was operating as a Tesla Robotaxi, use Tesla’s incident claim form for people involved in a collision. If a person was driving a privately owned Tesla with FSD (Supervised), exchange information with that person. A Tesla’s make and model alone do not tell you which situation applies.
Can I get the automated vehicle’s camera footage?
You can ask the fleet to preserve relevant recordings, but there is no guarantee that every camera saved footage or that the company will provide it at the scene. Access to recorded vehicle data can require owner consent or legal process. Preserve your own footage immediately.
Am I automatically responsible if my car hit a driverless vehicle?
No conclusion follows from that fact alone. Both vehicles’ movements, the roadway conditions and the available evidence matter. Texas law permits responsibility to be apportioned in a covered injury claim, including a share assigned to the human driver when the evidence supports it.
Talk to a Houston car accident lawyer
After a crash with a driverless vehicle, the immediate steps are familiar: protect yourself, the other humans involved, record the scene and report what happened. The unfamiliar part is how to navigate the situation when there is no other driver. The most important thing that you can do after protecting yourself is to record what happened, get medical help, and contact an attorney if you find you’ve been injured. Do not blindly admit fault to the responding officer or the company that owns the vehicle.
The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian represent people injured in Houston car accidents and commercial truck crashes. If you were injured in a collision involving a robotaxi, a Tesla using FSD (Supervised) or a driverless truck, contact our office to discuss your next steps and how you can obtain compensation for your injuries. Hilda Sibrian serves the Houston metropolitan area, including Sugar Land, Missouri City, La Porte, Beaumont, Pasadena, The Woodlands, The Heights, Bellaire, Kingwood, Baytown and of course Houston proper.
Consultations are quick, confidential, and always free. Contact us today by calling our office or filling out our online contact form.
