Waymo Robotaxis May Drive Into Closed Freeway Construction Zones

The Risk Of Driverless

While the improvement and development of autonomous driving technology continues, there are still moments when we are reminded of the risks and dangers of the idea. Some forward-thinking states have allowed a more liberal use of autonomous driving in mass transit via robotaxis.

It has come to light that some of Waymo's self-driving taxis are experiencing a software issue that poses a risk of accidents harming both passengers and pedestrians.

Waymo Construction Obstruction

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a safety recall report that affects Waymo's 5th Generation Automated Driving System (ADS). According to the report, under certain circumstances, the robotaxi "may enter and drive at speed in freeway construction zones due to inappropriately prioritizing the avoidance of other freeway hazards and/or failing to recognize the construction zone."

This comes after it was reported that in April of this year, some Waymo robotaxis in California and Arizona exhibited the above-mentioned issues of driving into closed construction zones. In a statement given exclusively to Reuters, a Waymo representative said that they "identified an area of improvement regarding performance around freeway construction zones. We voluntarily restricted freeway operations last month while making improvements."

Affected robotaxis total 3,871 units; the NHTSA report also says each vehicle is 100% likely to have the software defect. It goes without saying that these cars driving into closed-off construction zones pose a heightened risk to the safety of passengers and workers on the site.

Recall After Recall

Just a month ago, Waymo also issued a recall affecting 3,800 cars due to a software issue that caused a robotaxi to drive into a flooded road in San Antonio. Thankfully, at the time, there was nobody in the car, and no injuries were reported after the incident. It was enough to prompt both the company and the governing transport agency to look into the issues involving high speeds and impassable flooded roads.

Waymo is working on a software fix to prevent future incidents, prompting autonomous driving cars to avoid repeating the same mistake. The fix will improve the Waymo taxis' performance in and around freeway construction zones.

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