Autonomous vehicle company Waymo has issued a software recall affecting thousands of robotaxis in the United States after one of its vehicles drove into a creek during a passenger journey.
The incident, which took place in Arizona, has renewed concerns over the safety and reliability of self driving transport systems as regulators continue to scrutinise the technology. According to reports, the vehicle became confused by road conditions near a boat ramp before slowly entering shallow water. No injuries were reported and the passenger was able to leave the vehicle safely.
Waymo said the issue was linked to outdated mapping and route interpretation software. The company has since deployed an updated system designed to prevent vehicles from misreading unusual road layouts or terrain near waterways.
The recall is believed to affect more than 1,000 vehicles operating across several American cities, including San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Although the update can be installed remotely, the scale of the recall highlights the growing pressure on autonomous vehicle firms to demonstrate that their systems can handle unpredictable real world situations.
Safety experts say incidents involving robotaxis remain relatively rare, but even isolated cases can undermine public confidence. Critics argue that companies are moving too quickly to commercialise driverless technology before it has been fully tested in every environment.
Waymo insisted its vehicles continue to perform more safely than human drivers overall and said it remains committed to expanding its robotaxi services in the coming years.
Author: Abel Vazquez Sanchez