Waymo has suspended its self-driving car service in five US cities due to a software issue that caused some vehicles to drive into flooded roads and become stuck. This decision follows an incident on April 20 in San Antonio, Texas, where an empty Waymo vehicle was swept into a creek after entering a flooded area. In response to a similar occurrence in Atlanta, Georgia, the company expanded the pause to include four cities in Texas as a precautionary measure. Waymo, which is planning to launch a fully autonomous robotaxi service in London later this year, is enhancing its software to improve the handling of adverse conditions like flooding, emphasizing that safety remains its highest priority.

BBC: The BBC is a major international broadcaster delivering in-depth coverage of technology, transportation, and safety issues. It reported on Waymo’s service pause and the company’s commitment to safety as its highest priority amid efforts to resume operations soon.
Waymo: Waymo is an Alphabet subsidiary focused on developing and deploying autonomous driving technology for commercial robotaxi services across several US cities. In the current situation, the company has temporarily paused operations in five cities and suspended freeway services following incidents where its vehicles entered flooded roads due to a software limitation. It has also initiated a voluntary recall and software improvements while emphasizing safety as its top priority and continuing to monitor weather conditions closely.
Reuters: Reuters is a global news organization providing real-time reporting on business, technology, and regulatory matters. It covered Waymo’s decision to expand its service pause to five US cities and its statements on addressing the flooded road software problem through additional safeguards.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the primary US federal agency tasked with setting and enforcing vehicle safety standards, including oversight of autonomous driving systems. In this case, it published details on Waymo’s software issue that could allow vehicles to drive into standing water on higher-speed roads, prompting the company’s voluntary recall of affected robotaxis. The agency continues to monitor such developments as part of its role in advancing safe autonomous vehicle deployment.

Expansion Plans: Waymo is working toward launching its fully autonomous robotaxi service in London later this year as part of its broader growth into new markets and driving environments.
Weather Response: Waymo actively monitors weather forecasts, alerts, and live conditions to inform temporary service adjustments during adverse events like flooding.
Software Improvements: The company is implementing additional software safeguards to better handle scenarios involving untraversable conditions such as flooded or construction-affected roadways.