To stop its robotaxi fleet from passing stopped faculty buses, Waymo is issuing one other software program recall in 2025. Whereas it is not a conventional recall that pulls autos from the street, Waymo is voluntarily updating software program for its autonomous fleet in response to an investigation from the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration. In response to Waymo, the recall might be filed with the federal company early subsequent week.
Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s chief security officer, mentioned in an announcement that Waymo sees far fewer crashes involving pedestrians than human drivers, however that the corporate is aware of when “our conduct ought to be higher.”
“Consequently, we’ve got made the choice to file a voluntary software program recall with NHTSA associated to appropriately slowing and stopping in these eventualities,” Peña mentioned in an announcement to a number of information shops. “We are going to proceed analyzing our autos’ efficiency and making obligatory fixes as a part of our dedication to steady enchancment.”
In response to the NHTSA investigation, some Waymo autonomous autos have been seen failing to cease for college buses that had their cease indicators and flashing lights deployed. The federal company mentioned within the report that there have been situations of Waymo automobiles driving previous stopped faculty buses in Atlanta and Austin, Texas.
Earlier this 12 months, Waymo issued one other software program recall after a few of its robotaxi fleet have been seen hitting gates, chains, and comparable objects. Final 12 months, Waymo additionally filed two different software program recollects, one in every of which addressed a fleet automobile crashing right into a phone pole and one other correcting how two separate robotaxis hit the identical actual pickup truck that was being towed.