Waymo Recalls Thousands of Robotaxis Over Flood Risk
Waymo, the self-driving technology company owned by Alphabet, has initiated a voluntary recall of nearly 3,800 robotaxis across the United States. The move comes after one of its self-driving vehicles was swept into a creek during a flood. The recall affects vehicles equipped with the company’s fifth and sixth generation self-driving systems.
The issue stems from a software flaw that allows these vehicles to drive onto flooded roads. This risk was highlighted in an incident that occurred in San Antonio, Texas, on April 20, when a Waymo vehicle entered a flooded road and was carried away by the water. Fortunately, no passengers were in the car at the time, and no injuries were reported. However, the company warns that such unexpected behavior could lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of crashes or injuries.
Waymo is currently working on a solution to prevent its self-driving cars from accessing waterlogged areas. While the company has not yet confirmed whether this recall will affect its plans to launch a robotaxi service in London this autumn, the timing raises concerns among experts.
Expanding Operations and Ambitions
Waymo’s robotaxis are already operating in several US cities, including San Francisco, Austin, and Miami, providing over 500,000 trips per week. The company has ambitious plans to expand its self-driving services to new markets, with London being a key target.
Following a trial period, Waymo aims to launch the first-ever robotaxi service in London starting in September. Dozens of driverless cabs are already roaming the city’s streets, mapping out routes ahead of the official launch. For now, these taxis have a safety driver behind the wheel and are not accepting fares, but they will become fully autonomous once the service begins.
However, with the September deadline approaching, experts warn that high-profile safety failures could undermine public trust in this emerging technology.
Safety Concerns and Public Nuisance
Professor Jack Stilgoe, an expert on emerging technologies from University College London, emphasized the importance of responsible responses to mishaps. He told the Daily Mail: “Companies need to show that they aren’t reckless. How they respond to mishaps and crises is absolutely vital.”
In addition to the recall, Waymo has temporarily suspended its San Antonio service following the incident. The company plans to resume public rides once the software issue has been resolved.
This comes amid a series of incidents involving self-driving taxis that have caused disruptions and raised concerns. In December last year, a blackout in San Francisco caused Waymo’s taxis to stop in place, leading to significant traffic disruption. In London, residents of one Spitalfields cul-de-sac have been repeatedly woken up at 04:00 most weekdays by Waymo taxis getting trapped in their street.
Last month, a Waymo vehicle crashed through a police cordon set up by officers responding to a double stabbing incident in Harlesden, northwest London. While incidents resulting in injury are rare, none have yet occurred in the UK, but experts argue that more regulation is urgently needed.
Legal and Regulatory Challenges
In the UK, legal responsibility following an autonomous vehicle crash is governed by the 2024 Automated Vehicles Act. However, in other parts of the world, the rules are less clear. Professor Stilgoe noted: “Even though we’ve seen lots of these things moving around US and Chinese cities, responsibility is still a grey area.”
He added: “No technology will ever be perfectly safe. Self-driving vehicles have to operate in unpredictable public spaces with other road users, surrounded by all of the complexity of everyday life. Things will go wrong. But regulators can help minimise the risks and put in place processes so that, when mistakes happen, everyone can learn from them.”
Transparency and Public Trust
Professor Siddartha Khastgir, head of Safe Autonomy at the University of Warwick, stressed the importance of transparency in building public trust. He told the Daily Mail: “Public trust is underpinned by transparent, honest and responsible communications. Like any technology, the concept of absolute safety is a myth. But we can still have safe autonomous vehicles if we can accurately establish and communicate their capabilities and limitations to the users – we call this ‘informed safety’.”
A Waymo spokesperson said: “We have identified an area of improvement regarding untraversable flooded lanes specific to higher-speed roadways, and have made the decision to file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA related to this scenario. We are working to implement additional software safeguards and have put mitigations in place, including refining our extreme weather operations during periods of intense rain, limiting access to areas where flash flooding might occur.”
