Waymo recalls software after robotaxis don't stop for school buses
What's the story
Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet, has announced a voluntary software recall over how its robotaxis behave around school buses. The decision comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and officials in Atlanta and Austin, raised concerns about the performance of these autonomous vehicles. The company will file this recall early next week.
Software update
Waymo's response to robotaxi concerns
Waymo updated its software on November 17. The company claimed that this update has meaningfully improved the performance of its robotaxis around school buses, even surpassing human drivers in these situations. Now, the voluntary software recall is part of Waymo's commitment to safety and continuous improvement for its autonomous vehicles.
Incident details
NHTSA's investigation into Waymo
The NHTSA opened its first investigation into Waymo in October, after watching a video of one of its autonomous vehicles navigating around a stopped school bus with its stop sign extended and lights flashing. The incident took place in Atlanta and involved a Waymo robotaxi making an illegal turn around the front of the bus before continuing down the street.
Additional incidents
Austin school district raises concerns over Waymo's robotaxis
In Austin, where Waymo operates a robotaxi service with Uber, officials from the Austin School District have reported at least five similar incidents after the company's software update. The NHTSA has since requested more information about Waymo's fifth-generation self-driving system and operations. This comes after reports that its robotaxis illegally passed school buses 19 times this year.
Safety assurance
Waymo's commitment to safety and continuous improvement
Waymo's Chief Safety Officer, Mauricio Pena, stressed the company's commitment to safety in an emailed statement. He said, "While we are incredibly proud of our strong safety record showing Waymo experiences 12 times fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians than human drivers, holding the highest safety standards means recognizing when our behavior should be better." Pena also confirmed that no injuries were associated with this vehicle behavior.