dailyloe.com – Waymo is recalling approximately 3,800 robotaxis in the U.S. due to software glitches that may permit vehicles to “drive onto a flooded roadway,” as noted in a letter on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website.
The voluntary recall affects Waymo vehicles equipped with the company’s fifth and sixth generation automated driving systems (ADS). Recently, autonomous vehicles in Austin, Texas were recorded driving onto flooded streets and stalling, prompting other drivers to navigate around them.
Similar incidents have been reported in other locations, marking the latest safety concerns for Waymo, a unit owned by Alphabet, as it expands its fleet and enters new U.S. markets. The company faced criticism for failing to yield to school buses in Austin and for its vehicles’ performance during power outages in San Francisco last December.
Waymo acknowledged the issue in a statement on Tuesday, noting it has “identified an area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes specific to higher-speed roadways.” The company has opted for a “voluntary software recall” with the NHTSA.
Waymo stated, “Safety is our primary priority,” and highlighted that it provides over half a million trips weekly in challenging driving environments across the U.S. The company is developing “additional software safeguards” and has implemented “mitigations” to limit robotaxis in extreme weather conditions, particularly to avoid areas prone to flash flooding during intense rain.
Currently, Waymo operates a commercial robotaxi service in 11 U.S. markets, offering broad public access in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Miami. In select markets, the service is available only to a limited number of riders.
