Waymo Robotaxis Started Entering Closed Construction Zones, Leading To Around 3,900 Recalls

Some companies think autonomous, self-driving vehicles are the future. Granted, we've seen enough science fiction movies and shows to desire such a future, but given the current limitations of technology, that future is decidedly not now. That is doubly true when talking about Waymo cars, as we seem to catch their robotaxis pulling dangerous stunts almost monthly. So far this year, Waymo's self-driving Jaguars have been in the news for blocking a bike lane, hitting a child, and bugging out in an Atlanta neighborhood. Now, Waymo is recalling almost all of its driverless taxis due to the possibly they could enter freeway construction zones while driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration.

According to reports, the self-driving vehicles entered freeway construction zones without slowing down on 13 occasions since April, and while no accidents occurred, the threat was still there. The recall applies to 3,871 vehicles, which accounts for almost the entirety of Waymo's robotaxi fleet. In the recall paperwork, Waymo pointed the finger squarely at the software and claimed it couldn't "recognize the construction zone."

The NHTSA document detailed all of the recent incidents where Waymo robotaxis drove into construction zones. Six of these events occurred in Phoenix, Arizona in April when vehicles drove past and ignored ramp closure signs, and then seven incidents occurred in San Francsico, California in May when cars drove between cones meant to indicate closed lanes. According to a CNBC report, Waymo says that it has already "identified an area of improvement" and "voluntarily restricted freeway operations" ahead of the recall.

If this headline sounds familiar, that's because this isn't Waymo's first brush with faulty software. In fact, it really seems like the company's driving modules have difficulty recognizing signs that tell human drivers "Do not enter.". This recall echoes several events with Waymo's robotaxis at the center, including Waymo issuing a huge safety recall in December of last year, because its cars were caught on camera illegally passing stopped school buses.

Despite this frankly troubling pattern and frequency of events and recalls, Waymo continues to insist its autonomous vehicles make streets safer. However, between all of these issues and the robotaxi's tendency to not always follow proper road laws, some people are skeptical.