Waymo will be issuing a recall of the software for its self-driving taxis.
The recall will be filed this week, the company said, according to TechCrunch.
The update corrects a problem that allowed the robotaxis to go around school buses, the company said.
The software was updated on Nov. 17, but the recall, like many other software updates for other vehicles, is being filed after the update went out.
It comes at a time when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been reviewing the operation of the autonomous cars and complaints from Atlanta and Austin officials on how Waymo’s robotaxis deal with school buses, TechCrunch reported.
The NHTSA started investigating in October after footage came to light of a Waymo taxi going around a bus while the stop sign was extended, lights were flashing and kids were getting off the bus in Atlanta. The taxi crossed in front of the bus from the right side before turning left around the front of the bus, then driving down the street.
Similar incidents happened in Austin, school district officials said in a letter to the NHTSA, that at least five incidents happened after Waymo said it updated the software. There were a total of 19 times when a Waymo car passed a school bus, the district said.
The company said no one was hurt in the incidents, TechCrunch reported.
The NHTSA has asked the company to answer questions about the incidents by Jan. 20, Reuters reported.
“While we are incredibly proud of our strong safety record showing Waymo experiences twelve times fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians than human drivers, holding the highest safety standards means recognizing when our behavior should be better,” Waymo’s chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, said, according to Bloomberg.
“We will continue analyzing our vehicles’ performance and making necessary fixes as part of our commitment to continuous improvement,” he said.
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