Waymo issues another recall, this time for highway construction zones

Nearly 4000 Waymo Vehicles, which affected the company’s entire fleet of fifth-generation automated taxis A new recall has been issued By the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding driving near or within highway construction zones.

According to NHTSA a reportaccidents in Phoenix, Arizona, and San Francisco have raised concerns about self-driving taxis entering construction zones to avoid traffic hazards. These incidents occurred in April and May, respectively.

A Waymo representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The report says Waymo cars can “quickly” enter closed construction zones because they incorrectly prioritize other highway hazards and fail to recognize construction zones.

The issue affects Waymo vehicles using the fifth generation of the company’s self-driving system, which all Jaguar vehicles will be in service with. It was the company Introducing sixth generation cars this year, but were not included as part of this recall.

Waymo will address the situation by making “software improvements to avoid entering a construction zone and detect the presence of an autonomous vehicle within a construction zone, as well as additional operating protocols…The remediation will improve the performance of Waymo AVs in and around highway construction zones,” according to the NHTSA report.

Summons and previous cases

Although Waymos have become reliable ride-sharing tools on the streets of cities including Austin, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Orlando, they have also been the subject of some high-profile incidents involving malfunctioning vehicles.

In May, A A similar recall was issued Concerning the dangers of driving Waymo vehicles in flooded areas, posing a safety risk. Waymos has also been the subject of a vehicle-related investigation Driving in front of parked school buses And stop during a power outage, As happened last year in San Francisco.

Waymo also caught the attention of the Austin City Council when a robotaxi was used Emergency response vehicles blocked After a mass shooting in March. A similar incident occurred in Dallas earlier this month when A.J Waymo robotaxi blocked the road Which emergency responders were trying to use after an apartment explosion.

Tesla, Zoox, and Uber are other companies competing with Waymo in the robotaxi market.