Waymo Safety Probe Turns Up More Incidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has uncovered nine additional incidents involving Waymo’s self-driving vehicles, raising fresh concerns about their safety and performance. This development comes after the U.S. auto safety regulator initiated an investigation earlier this month following 22 reports of Waymo’s robotaxis displaying potentially hazardous driving behavior. These reports included 17 collisions and instances of the vehicles allegedly violating traffic safety laws or exhibiting “unexpected behavior.”

The NHTSA’s latest findings highlight several troubling incidents where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles collided with “clearly visible objects that a competent driver would be expected to avoid.” These collisions involved stationary and semi-stationary objects such as gates, chains, and parked vehicles. Additionally, there were cases where the automated driving system appeared to disregard traffic control devices or rules, further exacerbating safety concerns.

In a letter to Waymo released on Friday, the NHTSA detailed these new incidents and requested the company to provide detailed information and video footage for all reported incidents by June 11. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., did not immediately respond to the latest developments but had previously expressed pride in its safety record, citing tens of millions of autonomous miles driven.

The NHTSA expressed significant concern that the unexpected behaviors of Waymo’s self-driving vehicles could heighten the risk of crashes, property damage, and injuries. Notably, many of the incidents occurred “in the proximity of other road users, including pedestrians,” amplifying the potential dangers posed by these autonomous vehicles.

This investigation marks the initial phase of the NHTSA’s regulatory process, which could lead to a recall if the agency determines that the vehicles present an unreasonable safety risk. The probe into Waymo’s vehicles is part of a broader scrutiny of self-driving technology, following similar investigations into General Motors’ Cruise and Amazon’s Zoox.

In February, Waymo recalled 444 self-driving vehicles after two minor collisions in Arizona. The company attributed these incidents to a software error that led the vehicles to inaccurately predict the movement of a towed vehicle, prompting the recall as a precautionary measure.