Robotaxi fleet by Waymo called back due to accidents with gates and barriers, affecting 1,200 vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed its 14-month investigation into Waymo's fifth-generation Automated Driving System (ADS), following the review of 22 complaints and 17 minor collisions involving the system. The decision comes after Waymo addressed the software issues causing collisions with stationary objects, such as utility poles and roadside barriers, through voluntary recalls and confirmed technical fixes.
The investigation began in May 2024, following reports of vehicle collisions with stationary objects and erratic behavior near traffic control devices. Waymo began addressing the problem in late 2024, rolling out a software update to its fleet starting on November 7, 2024.
Some of Waymo's vehicles were involved in multiple low-speed collisions where the software failed to correctly detect or respond to gate-like roadway barriers. The software issue is related to Waymo's fifth-generation ADS used in cities like Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The flaw caused robotaxis to collide with stationary objects like gates, chains, and similar barriers.
In a separate incident, Waymo's robotaxis collided with a telephone pole in Phoenix. This is not Waymo's first recall involving its autonomous software. In early 2024, the company issued recalls after robotaxis collided with towed vehicles.
The recall notice was issued by Waymo, and the company has recalled 1,212 self-driving vehicles due to the software flaw. The NHTSA's technical evaluation confirmed that these safety improvements met regulatory expectations, leading to the investigation's closure without further regulatory measures.
None of the incidents resulted in injuries, and the update significantly improved object detection and vehicle response, sharply reducing the risk of similar incidents. The NHTSA emphasized the importance of Waymo’s proactive safety recalls, data transparency, and ongoing improvements in its decision to close the probe.
This closure enables Waymo to continue expanding its fleet, which currently consists of about 1,500 vehicles across multiple cities, while maintaining regulatory oversight. The full NHTSA recall report can be downloaded for further details.
Sources: [1] Reuters. (Date not specified). Waymo recalls 1,212 self-driving vehicles due to software flaw. [2] Waymo. (Date not specified). Waymo Safety Board initiates recall to fulfill regulatory reporting obligations with NHTSA. [3] NHTSA. (Date not specified). Recall Report: Waymo Recalls Certain 2021-2023 Waymo One Vehicles Due to Potential Software Issue. [4] NHTSA. (Date not specified). Investigation Closed: Waymo Self-Driving Vehicles.
Technology was at the heart of the investigation conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding Waymo's fifth-generation Automated Driving System (ADS). The software flaw, related to object detection and vehicle response, resulted in Warsmo recalling 1,212 self-driving vehicles due to the software issue.
