Series of Incidents Involving Self-Driving Vehicles
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has announced a recall of 444 autonomous vehicles for the first time due to a software concern. The recall was prompted by two separate incidents where Waymo self-driving vehicles collided with the same pickup truck being towed in Phoenix.
Recall and Software Update
The incidents occurred in December before a software update was released by Waymo. The first collision took place on Dec. 11 when a Waymo vehicle hit a pickup truck being towed in reverse across lanes. Shortly after, another Waymo vehicle made contact with the same truck. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the vehicles were traveling at low speeds during the incidents.
Waymo collaborated with the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration, updating the software in all affected vehicles between December 20, 2023, and January 12, 2024.
Expansion of Services
In May, Waymo had announced the expansion of its services, allowing its robotaxis to transport passengers across most of the Phoenix area. The company had started offering rides to paying passengers in late 2020, marking a significant step in its autonomous driving technology.