Waymo reportedly pauses robotaxi service in 4 cities as cars drive into floods

Waymo pauses robotaxi service in 4 cities as cars drive into floods | Mashable

I don't think a human driver would do that. Credit: Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images

Waymo's autonomous ride-share vehicles are becoming increasingly common across the United States, but they just became much less common in four southern U.S. cities.Waymo has temporarily suspended service in Atlanta, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas due to the risk of inclement weather, after at least one Waymo vehicle was spotted driving headfirst into a flooded street in Atlanta, according to TechCrunch. A photo of the incident circulated on social media, drawing attention to the issue that may have prompted the decision to suspend service as the company figures out how to fix it. Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up

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SEE ALSO: Can Waymo and Waze fix cities' potholes? “Safety is Waymo’s top priority, both for our riders and everyone we share the road with. During a period of intense rain yesterday in Atlanta, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered a flooded road and stopped,” Waymo said in a statement, per TechCrunch. You May Also Like

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Waymo had actually issued a software update to its fleet (numbering nearly 4,000) last week to address this issue. Still, the photo of the vehicle rushing into flooded waters was taken after that. A local news report stated that the car had been stuck in the water for about an hour before being removed. Waymo is still working on a final fix to the problem, but until then, people in those four southern cities will need to find another way to get around that doesn't involve robot cars.

Topics Robotics

Alex Perry Tech Reporter Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.

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