Waymo robotaxis suspend Atlanta service due to flooding
Waymo has been forced to suspend its robotaxi service in two cities due to heavy rain and flooded roads. This issue follows a software recall issued by the company last week. Local media reported that this week in Atlanta, Georgia, a Waymo vehicle became stuck in a flooded street for approximately an hour. This was reported by Techcrunch.com reports .
Company representatives told TechCrunch that services are currently suspended in Atlanta and San Antonio, Texas. In a statement, Waymo emphasized that safety is a priority, noting that an empty vehicle encountered flooding during heavy rainfall and became immobilized. The vehicle was subsequently evacuated from the scene.
In a software update released last week, Waymo admitted it had not yet developed a "final solution" to avoid flooded areas. Instead, according to NHTSA documents, the company implemented a temporary update to restrict travel in hazardous zones. However, these measures failed to prevent the robotaxi in Atlanta from entering a flooded intersection.
Waymo representatives claim the storm in Atlanta caused flooding before the National Weather Service issued an official warning. Apparently, the company's fleet relies on such official notifications to avoid deep water. This is not the first issue involving Waymo robotaxis; last year, the vehicles were in the spotlight for illegally passing school buses.
Currently, the NHTSA and NTSB are conducting several investigations into Waymo's operations. These include maneuvers involving school buses and an incident on January 23 of this year in Santa Monica, where a robotaxi struck a young child. The company is required to provide additional information regarding these incidents.
