Waymo has issued its sixth recall, affecting nearly 4,000 robotaxis after 13 incidents where vehicles drove into closed highway construction zones across Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area. The software was reportedly prioritizing avoidance of other hazards while failing to recognize construction zones marked by cones, signs, and flashing lights. Waymo pulled all robotaxis from highways on May 19 and has not resumed freeway service. This follows a May recall for driving into flooded roads, and previous recalls for collisions with poles, gates, and illegal behavior near school buses. Despite claiming a 13x reduction in serious crashes versus human drivers and 170 million autonomous miles, the company's rapid expansion to 20+ cities is surfacing edge cases faster than software updates can address them.
