Why Waymo has recalled over 1,200 of its self-driving cars
What's the story
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has recalled the majority of its autonomous vehicles. The move comes after a software glitch caused a number of cars to crash into roadway barriers.
The recall affects 1,212 vehicles running on the company's fifth-generation automated driving system (ADS) software.
Despite the incidents, Waymo assured in a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that no injuries occurred as a result of the crashes.
Impact and resolution
Affected vehicles and software update
The recall impacts Waymo's fleet running in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. The company has more than 1,500 vehicles on the road in these cities.
The glitch led some of the affected vehicles to crash into chains, gates, and other gate-like barriers.
However, Waymo has fixed the issue with its latest sixth-generation self-driving software update.
Regulatory challenges
Increased regulatory scrutiny and previous recalls
Waymo and other self-driving vehicle companies, including General Motors' Cruise, have been under increased regulatory scrutiny. This follows a 2023 incident where a pedestrian was seriously injured by a Cruise vehicle.
Last June, Waymo recalled over 670 vehicles after one of them hit a wooden utility pole in Phoenix, Arizona.
The recall came following an NHTSA investigation into Waymo, after receiving 22 reports of its robotaxis displaying potentially unsafe driving behavior or exhibiting other "unexpected behavior," including 17 collisions.