Waymo pauses Atlanta service as its robotaxis keep driving into floods
3 hours ago
- #autonomous vehicles
- #safety recall
- #weather challenges
- Waymo has paused robotaxi services in Atlanta and San Antonio due to difficulties with heavy rain and flooded roads.
- A Waymo robotaxi in Atlanta recently got stuck in a flooded intersection for about an hour, though it was unoccupied and safely recovered.
- Last week, Waymo issued a software recall for avoiding flooded areas, implementing restrictions in high-risk locations, but these precautions were insufficient in Atlanta's storm.
- The company faced previous issues, including robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses, a problem that persisted despite a fix and is under investigation by NHTSA and NTSB.
- Another investigation involves a Waymo robotaxi that struck a child in Santa Monica in January, resulting in minor injuries, with the vehicle braking beforehand.
- Waymo relies on National Weather Service alerts for weather preparation, but flooding occurred before such warnings in Atlanta, complicating its response.