Google’s driverless taxi service Waymo, which operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, recalled over 1,000 of its vehicles after reports of minor crashes into road barriers.
Why was Waymo recalled?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the Waymo recall in a statement.
The recall followed 16 crashes into structures like gates, chains, and road barriers between 2022 and 2024. Vehicles with the company’s fifth-generation software were impacted by the recall.
According to Waymo, these crashes did not cause injury to any passengers. In response to the recall, Waymo issued a sixth-generation software update for all impacted vehicles. The update went into effect in December 2024, per a report by NBC Bay Area News.
Other driverless taxi companies reported similar issues. The Daily Dot recently reported that Amazon recalled driverless taxi software Zoox after a crash.
What do passengers think of Waymo?
Several former passengers have voiced concerns about the safety of the Google-owned driverless taxi service. In a previous report by the Daily Dot, one passenger said their Waymo drove past them during pickup. Later, the vehicle wouldn’t let them out when it suddenly stopped moving on the highway.
Another TikToker filmed a Waymo taking an unprotected left turn into oncoming traffic, sparking debate about the company’s software to monitor the roads.
In the comments, viewers expressed their skepticism about the safety of driverless taxis.
“Never getting in a Waymo. I’d rather call my ex to pick me up,” one wrote.
“I will never drive in an automated ride share vehicle,” another said.
“You waymo brave than me cause I would never get in a car with no driver lol,” a third joked.
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