Waymo recalls robotaxis for driving on flooded roads

Waymo is recalling its self-driving software that allowed its vehicles to drive on flooded roads. Summoning It affects 3,791 vehicles running Waymo’s 5th and 6th generation systems.

In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Alphabet-owned company said an unmanned Waymo robotaxi “encountered a flooded, impassable section of a road with a speed limit of 40 mph.” Although the road was discovered to be flooded, the car “moved at a low speed.” Waymo said it is currently working on a treatment. Meanwhile, the company has updated its vehicles to “increase weather-related restrictions and update vehicle maps.”

Although no one was injured in the accident, it highlights the risks self-driving car companies face when faced with changing road conditions as a result of severe weather. For its first few years of operation, Waymo strategically stuck to cities with warmer, drier climates — places like Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin. But as it looks to a list of East Coast cities, including Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C., for the next phase of its expansion, its capabilities to… Dealing with more bad weather It will become a crucial test.