Waymo’s Recall of Robotaxis
Autonomous vehicle manufacturer Waymo has announced a recall of 3,067 robotaxis following a federal investigation into incidents where its vehicles failed to stop for stationary school buses.
On Friday, Waymo officials confirmed the recall in response to an inquiry by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This investigation was prompted by reports from Atlanta and Austin, Texas, where Waymo vehicles ignored traffic laws requiring them to halt for school buses displaying flashing lights or extended stop signs while children were boarding or disembarking.
A report from NHTSA indicated that the affected vehicles underwent software updates between November 5 and November 17. However, school officials in Austin reported at least three instances of Waymo vehicles bypassing stopped buses even after these updates.
As of December 5, the Austin Independent School District had issued 20 citations to Waymo. The district has requested that Waymo suspend operations in areas during times when children are getting on or off buses.
In response to these concerns, Waymo has engaged with Austin school officials to enhance the performance of its autonomous driving systems around school buses. A spokesperson for Waymo stated, “Waymo and Austin ISD are deeply invested in keeping kids safe. The two parties are collaborating together on data collection related to school buses as part of Waymo’s efforts to continually learn and improve.”
