Self-driving vehicle company Waymo has issued a recall affecting 3,871 autonomous robotaxis after a software defect caused vehicles to enter active highway construction zones at high speeds.
The Independent reports that the recall affects thousands of robotaxis operated by Google’s Waymo. The company filed a report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documenting the software malfunction that allowed vehicles to drive into restricted construction areas on freeways.
According to the NHTSA filing submitted this week, the company identified 13 separate incidents where Waymo vehicles entered closed freeway construction zones in Phoenix and San Francisco. The software flaw prevented the autonomous driving system from properly detecting and avoiding these hazardous areas, allowing vehicles to continue at highway speeds through active work zones.
The NHTSA recall notice explains the nature of the defect, stating that the software may allow vehicles to enter closed freeway construction zones and continue driving at speed. To address the issue, Waymo will deploy an over-the-air software update to all affected vehicles to repair the flaw. The updated software will enable the autonomous driving system to detect when vehicles are inside construction zones and implement avoidance protocols to prevent entry into such areas.
This marks the sixth recall issued for Waymo’s autonomous taxi fleet. Previous safety issues have included problematic behavior around school buses and low-speed collisions with stationary objects such as poles. The recurring recalls highlight ongoing challenges in perfecting autonomous vehicle technology for real-world driving conditions.
Breitbart News recently reported that Waymo was forced to suspend operations due to its robotaxis driving directly into flood waters:
Google’s self-driving car company halted operations in Atlanta, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston as its robotaxis have demonstrated continued problems handling severe weather conditions and flooding. The expansion of service pauses comes after a Waymo vehicle was observed driving through a flooded Atlanta street on Wednesday before becoming stuck for approximately an hour, according to local media reports.
The company confirmed that the stranded vehicle was eventually recovered and removed from the scene. In response to the incident, Waymo paused service in Atlanta, mirroring the action it had already taken in San Antonio, Texas, while the company works to develop a comprehensive solution to the flooding problem.
Despite these setbacks, Waymo achieved a significant milestone last year when it became the first autonomous taxi service in the United States to transport passengers on freeways without a human driver present. The company continues to expand its operations and technological capabilities as it works to refine its autonomous driving systems.
Read more at the Independent here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of AI, free speech, and online censorship.