Waymo recalls 600+ self-driving vehicles for software, map updates after one strikes a pole in Phoenix
Waymo recalls 600+ self-driving vehicles
The recall stems from an investigation into a crash involving a Waymo car in Phoenix after the NHTSA says the vehicle hit a wooden utility pole.
Waymo is recalling more than 600 self-driving vehicles after one of them struck a telephone pole in Arizona.
The recall includes 672 vehicles, which is the entire fleet.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in its report that last month a driverless Waymo vehicle hit a wooden utility pole in Phoenix while it was in an alleyway and trying to perform a low-speed pullover maneuver.
There were no passengers, other road users, or injuries associated with the event, the report said. There was some damage to the Waymo vehicle.
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Waymo has completed a software update that improves the automated driving system’s response to poles or pole-like permanent objects. It also provided a map update to include a hard road edge between the pole or pole-like object and the driveable surface.
In a statement to FOX 10, Waymo says:
"Following an event on May 21 in Phoenix, we have chosen to file a voluntary software recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address a mapping and software issue. We have already deployed mapping and software updates across our entire fleet, and this does not impact our current operations. As we serve more riders in more cities, we will continue our safety first approach, working to earn trust with our riders, community members, regulators, and policymakers."
So you will continue to see Waymo vehicles on Valley streets. In fact, just last week, Waymo expanded its service into North Phoenix, where it now goes as far as the Desert Ridge area.