Waymo has voluntarily recalled the software that drives its robotaxi service after two vehicles collided with the same towed pickup truck in Phoenix, Arizona, in December. This is the company’s first recall.
Waymo’s chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, classified the incidents as “minor” in a blog post, noting that neither vehicle was carrying passengers. There were no injuries. He also stated that Waymo’s ride-hailing service, which is currently operational in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, “is not and has not been interrupted by this update.” The business refuses to share video of the crashes with Totalbulletin.
Waymo stated that it developed, tested, and certified a software update for its fleet, which it began delivering on December 20. All of its robotaxis had gotten the software upgrade by January 12.
“This voluntary recall reflects how seriously we take our responsibility to safely deploy our technology and to transparently communicate with the public”
Waymo’s chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña
The recall comes as self-driving cars are under close scrutiny following a number of high-profile mishaps and scandals, including one last week in which a Waymo robotaxi collided with a cyclist. A crowd in San Francisco damaged and burnt a Waymo driverless vehicle over the weekend. Meanwhile, rival operator Cruise has ceased operations as it deals with the consequences from a crash last October. It appointed its first chief safety officer this week.
The crashes that caused the recall both occurred on December 11. Peña stated that one of Waymo’s vehicles stumbled found a backward-facing pickup truck being “improperly towed.” The tractor-trailer was “persistently angled across a center turn lane and a traffic lane.”
According to Peña, the robotaxi made contact due to a discrepancy in the orientation of the tow truck and the pickup. The manufacturer informed Total Bulletin that this resulted in minor damage to the front left bumper.
According to Peña, the tow truck did not stop, and a few minutes later, another Waymo robotaxi made touch with the towed pickup truck. The company stated that this resulted in minor damage to the front left bumper and a sensor. (After the second crash, the tow vehicle came to a stop.)
Waymo stated that it contacted the Phoenix Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety on the day of the crashes and informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the incidents on December 15. The business and NHTSA officials had “four subsequent conversations” about the crashes before Waymo opted to voluntarily recall the software in use at the time.
totalbulletin
14/02/2024