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Friday 19 June 2026

Waymo recalls thousands of robotaxis due to software glitch

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Waymo has recalled nearly 4,000 of its driverless taxis after a software glitch caused several of them to drive, at speed, through motorway construction sites. In Phoenix robotaxis failed to recognise closure signs six times, and in San Francisco seven vehicles drove between cones into lanes where construction workers were operating. None of the incidents caused collisions or injuries. This is Waymo’s second recall since May. The first one was issued after a driverless car drove through a flooded street in San Antonio. Waymo’s cars are coming to London soon. The company claims they outperform human drivers and “are making roads safer”, despite a handful of high-profile gaffes. But there is scepticism about the way it calculates its data.

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