Admitting a mistake is a virtue, but in the world of autonomous driving, a mistake can mean a child’s life. Waymo is moving quickly to fix a “software glitch” that caused its cars to ignore school bus stops.
Article contents:
- Introduction
- Recall and glitch details
- Repeated school incidents
- Safety record and company commitment
- Industry impact
- Frequently asked questions
Introduction
Waymo, the autonomous driving unit of Alphabet, said it will submit a voluntary software recall notice to U.S. federal authorities. The decision comes after its self-driving vehicles repeatedly failed to fully slow down or stop for school buses, a sensitive traffic situation requiring absolute precision and safety.
Recall and glitch details
The company explained that it identified a software issue that caused its vehicle to initially slow down or stop for a school bus, but then resume driving before it was legally and safely supposed to do so. Waymo confirmed that it implemented software updates by November 17 that resulted in a “marked improvement” in its performance around buses. However, the official recall notice will be published on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website.
Repeated school incidents
Waymo’s decision follows findings by the Austin Independent School District of at least 19 different instances of vehicles illegally passing school buses since the start of the school year. The district called on Waymo to halt operations during school bus operating hours. Despite the updates, the district stated that the glitch had not been adequately addressed, noting a new violation recorded on December 1.
Safety record and company commitment
Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s chief safety officer, stated: “While we are extremely proud of our strong safety record showing that Waymo experiences 12 times fewer pedestrian injury crashes than human drivers, maintaining the highest safety standards means acknowledging when our behavior needs to be better.” The company confirmed there were no injuries associated with this vehicle behavior.
Industry impact
Autonomous driving companies are facing increasing scrutiny from regulators and the public. This recall highlights the ongoing challenges the technology faces in handling complex and unpredictable real-world scenarios, such as school bus and children’s traffic.
Frequently asked questions
What is the exact issue?
The cars would slow down upon seeing a school bus, but complete their route and pass the bus before it was safe or legal to do so.
Was anyone hurt?
Fortunately, Waymo confirmed that there were no injuries resulting from this glitch.
Has the glitch been fixed?
Waymo sent out a software update, but the Austin school district claims the issue persisted even after the update.
