Waymo has filed a voluntary recall affecting 3,871 vehicles equipped with its 5th Generation Automated Driving System.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the software may allow a Waymo vehicle to enter a closed freeway construction zone and continue driving.Now, the Alphabet-owned robotaxi company is pulling back freeway operations while it works on a fix.
The recall raises new questions about how robotaxis handle the messy, changing conditions people deal with behind the wheel every day.Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportWAYMO UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AFTER CHILD STRUCKWaymo is recalling 3,871 robotaxis after software issues allowed some vehicles to enter closed freeway construction zones.The company has restricted freeway operations while deploying a fix.
(Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)The recall is NHTSA Campaign Number 26E035000.It affects 3,871 Waymo vehicles using the company's 5th Generation ADS.
In the federal filing, Waymo says the autonomous vehicle may enter and drive at speed in freeway construction zones because the software may fail to recognize the zone or may prioritize avoiding other freeway hazards.Waymo's timeline shows the first cluster happened in Phoenix.The company reviewed one event from April 11 and five events from April 19, where vehicles drove past ramp closure signs into pre-planned freeway construction zones.Then came the San Francisco Bay Area.
On May 18, seven Waymo vehicles entered active freeway construction lanes by driving between cones.The filing says the system either failed to recognize the construction zone or gave more weight to avoiding other freeway hazards.Waymo restricted freeway driving after the Phoenix events while it made operational changes.
After the San Francisco Bay Area incidents, Waymo suspended freeway driving more broadly while it worked to identify and address the root causes.Waymo says no collisions or injuries were reported from these events.Still, the company says...