Waymo recalls nearly 4000 robotaxis over ‘freeway construction zone’ risks: What is the issue and solution offered

Waymo has recalled its fleet of 3,871 self-driving robotaxis. The decision comes as the company works to fix a software flaw regarding how the autonomous vehicles behave around freeway construction zones, and to block them from driving on such highways. According to the filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall was triggered after Waymo identified at least 13 separate instances of its robotaxis driving directly into highway sections that had been closed off for construction. According to federal filings, six of these incidents occurred in Phoenix, Arizona, in April, while another seven took place in San Francisco, California, in May.According to documents filed, the robotaxis failed to recognise and navigate construction barriers properly.“Driving through a closed construction zone increases the risk of a crash. Waymo LLC (Waymo) is recalling certain 5th Generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS). The software may allow the vehicle to enter a closed freeway construction zone and continue driving at speed,” the filing reads.In mid-April, Waymo vehicles in Phoenix failed to recognise ramp closure signs and drove straight past them into active construction areas. Later, on May 18, seven robotaxis committed similar errors in the San Francisco Bay Area. Waymo explained that in those California incidents, the onboard software was either prioritising the avoidance of other freeway hazards or failing to recognise the construction zone entirely.The company officially pulled its robotaxis from all highways on May 19. Waymo’s internal safety board formally decided to issue the recall on June 8.Waymo stated that a software fix for the issue is “currently under development”. Waymo said in filing: “The remedy is currently under development. In the interim, Waymo modified the scope of vehicle operations to restrict freeway driving. Waymo will update the ADS software to detect when the vehicle is in and to avoid entering construction zones, free of charge.”In the meantime, the company is not removing its robotaxis from public roads completely. Instead, it has put a voluntary restriction on all highway operations. The robotaxis will continue to operate normally on standard surface city streets, though Waymo noted it still periodically pauses service during severe weather that poses flooding risks.“We identified an area of improvement regarding performance around freeway construction zones. We voluntarily restricted freeway operations last month while making improvements, proactively notified state and federal regulators, and decided to file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA,” the company said in a statement to TechCrunch.