David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Alphabet-owned Waymo said on Thursday it would recall 672 of its self-driving cars after one of its self-driving cars crashed into a wooden utility pole in Phoenix, Arizona, in May.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulator began investigating in May after 22 reports of Waymo robotaxis exhibiting driving behavior that potentially violates traffic safety laws or exhibiting other “unexpected behavior,” including 17 collisions.
Waymo said the May collision in Arizona occurred in an alley while performing a low-speed maneuver. The collision did not result in any passengers, other road users or injuries, but the Waymo self-driving car was damaged, the report said.
Waymo said the remedy to the recall includes a software update to improve how vehicles respond to the detection of poles or permanent pole-like objects, as well as “robust mapping updates and improvements” already installed on all vehicles.
NHTSA said that before the software update, automated driving systems “may have failed to avoid a pole or similar object.
This is the latest in a series of investigations by NHTSA into the performance of autonomous vehicles after the regulator began investigating General Motors (NYSE:) Cruise and Amazon.com (NASDAQ:) Zoox.
In February, Waymo recalled 444 self-driving vehicles after two small back-to-back collisions in Arizona, saying a software error could cause automated vehicles to inaccurately predict the movement of a towed vehicle.
The NHTSA said Wednesday it is seeking details about a series of incidents that have raised concerns about the operation of Waymo’s self-driving vehicles.
The regulator said several of the incidents “involved collisions with clearly visible objects that a competent driver should have avoided.”
“Reports include collisions with fixed and semi-permanent objects such as gates and chains, collisions with parked vehicles, and cases where the (automated driving system) did not comply with road safety regulations,” it said.
The agency said Waymo was required to respond to detailed questions by Aug. 6 and that the regulator wanted to know whether any vehicles were stopped and whether any tests or updates were performed to address specific incidents.
Waymo previously said it was “proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of miles of autonomous driving.”