Waymo recalls 1,200 robotaxis following low-speed collisions with gates and chains

Waymo issued a bundle callback connected 1,200 self-driving vehicles aft immoderate of its robotaxis were progressive successful insignificant collisions with gates, chains, and different gate-like roadway objects.

The bundle update, which was first reported by Reuters, was conducted precocious past year, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Alphabet-owned institution said successful the papers that Waymo’s Safety Board decided to behaviour a callback to that circumstantial mentation of driverless bundle to “fulfill applicable regulatory reporting obligations.”

NHTSA opened a preliminary valuation into Waymo’s automated driving strategy past May aft learning of 7 incidents successful which robotaxis had collided with “stationary and semi-stationary objects specified arsenic gates and chains” betwixt December 2022 and April 2024. None of these resulted successful injury, according to NHTSA.

In November 2024, Waymo rolled retired a bundle update to its fleet of robotaxis, which numbered 1,200 astatine the time. The bundle update importantly decreased the likelihood of these types of event, according to documents filed with NHTSA. Today, Waymo has 1,500 commercialized robotaxis successful cognition successful Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco.

Software updates were successful advancement astatine the clip NHTSA’s introspection began, according to the documents. The institution had ongoing discussions with NHTSA regarding the valuation of comparative hazard for autonomous vehicles and provided the bureau with accusation regarding 9 further collisions with these kinds of barrieres, which occurred betwixt February 2024 and December 2024.

Waymo has issued astatine slightest 2 different recalls. The institution issued a bundle recall successful June 2024 to its Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis aft 1 of them collided with a telephone pole. Waymo also recalled erstwhile software in February 2024 aft 2 of its robotaxis crashed into the aforesaid pickup motortruck that was being towed by a tow truck.