WAYMO RECALLS 3,871 ROBOTAXIS OVER MOTORWAY CONSTRUCTION ZONE BUG

Waymo has recalled 3,871 robotaxis in the United States following discovery of a software issue in its fifth-generation automated driving system. The fault allows autonomous vehicles to enter and drive at speed through closed motorway construction zones under certain circumstances. A safety recall report filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on 17 June detailed the issue. Waymo said the problem stems from the system's inability to recognise construction zones or its inappropriate prioritisation of other motorway hazards.

The company identified the issue after six separate incidents in April where robotaxis failed to recognise ramp closure signs and drove into pre-planned motorway construction zones in Arizona. Seven further similar incidents occurred in mid-May in the San Francisco Bay Area, where autonomous vehicles drove between traffic cones into active construction lanes. Waymo voluntarily restricted motorway operations in response and notified state and federal regulators. The company decided to issue the recall on 8 June.

This represents the sixth recall Waymo has issued for its robotaxis, according to reporting on the matter. Earlier recalls addressed software issues including dangerous driving behaviour around school buses and low-speed collisions with gates and telephone poles. The latest recall follows another recall of a similar number of vehicles issued the previous month due to a separate bug that allowed autonomous vehicles to drive onto flooded roadways. Waymo stated it owned all 3,871 vehicles subject to the current recall.