To stop its robotaxi fleet from passing stopped college buses, Waymo is issuing one other software program recall in 2025. Whereas it isn’t a standard recall that pulls automobiles 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 will likely be filed with the federal company early subsequent week.
Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s chief security officer, mentioned in a press release that Waymo sees far fewer crashes involving pedestrians than human drivers, however that the corporate is aware of when “our conduct needs to be higher.”
“Consequently, we’ve made the choice to file a voluntary software program recall with NHTSA associated to appropriately slowing and stopping in these eventualities,” Peña mentioned in a press release to a number of information shops. “We’ll proceed analyzing our automobiles’ efficiency and making mandatory fixes as a part of our dedication to steady enchancment.”
In response to the NHTSA investigation, some Waymo autonomous automobiles had 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 cases of Waymo automobiles driving previous stopped college buses in Atlanta and Austin, Texas.
Earlier this 12 months, Waymo issued one other software program recall after a few of its robotaxi fleet had been seen hitting gates, chains, and related objects. Final 12 months, Waymo additionally filed two different software program recollects, one in every of which addressed a fleet car crashing right into a phone pole and one other correcting how two separate robotaxis hit the identical actual pickup truck that was being towed.
