Waymo Issues Recall for Entire Self-Driving Fleet due to Software Update Following Safety Issues

Waymo, the self-driving vehicle division of Alphabet, has announced a recall affecting 1,212 of its autonomous taxis—the complete fleet at the time of the recall. The company executed a software upgrade in November designed to greatly decrease the likelihood of its cars hitting stationary objects.

This recall stems from a May investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which examined 22 incidents involving Waymo’s self-driving vehicles. These events included collisions with immobile objects such as gates, chains, and parked vehicles, as well as apparent noncompliance with traffic control signals. All reported incidents occurred at low speeds and led to no injuries. The NHTSA’s inquiry remains in progress.

Waymo initiated the recall voluntarily, and it does not affect the company’s current operations. The firm continues to provide autonomous ride-hailing services in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, averaging around 250,000 paid rides weekly.

“We set high safety standards for ourselves, and our achievement in reducing injuries over tens of millions of fully autonomous miles driven demonstrates that our technology enhances road safety,” a Waymo representative shared with Mashable. “NHTSA plays a crucial part in road safety, and we will keep collaborating with the agency as we strive to be the most trusted driver worldwide.”

As companies like Waymo venture into more U.S. locations, experts warn that unforeseen safety challenges could emerge. In light of these concerns, Waymo has recently published research that compares its autonomous technology with human drivers, indicating that Waymo’s vehicles are involved in significantly fewer pedestrian-injury incidents than vehicles operated by humans.

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Waymo’s ongoing commitment to enhancing safety and transparency aligns with the company’s efforts to promote wider acceptance of autonomous vehicles throughout the nation.