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Driverless transportation company Waymo has issued a software recall of its vehicle fleet following an incident last month during flooding in San Antonio.
The Waymo vehicle was swept up in flood waters and washed into Salado Creek during heavy rains on April 20. The car was unoccupied and no one was injured in the incident.
The recall notice said while the vehicle detected the flooded road, it continued on its path and proceeded at a reduced speed.
The company issued the recall of nearly 3,800 fifth- and sixth-generation vehicles to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Waymo said a remedy is currently under development. However, it has already modified the scope of vehicle operations to increase weather-related constraints.
In an earlier incident that occurred earlier in April, another Waymo vehicle became stranded in floodwaters near McCullough Avenue and Contour Drive. Both cars were unoccupied, and no one was injured in either incident.
Waymo operations had been ongoing this week in San Antonio following the flooding incident, but without serving riders.
The service pause is the company’s longest in San Antonio to date as Waymo reviewed its flood-monitoring procedures and safety protocols. Waymo previously said it would reevaluate how its vehicles respond to flood-prone areas and severe weather alerts before restarting service.
The back-to-back flood incidents also underscored how quickly changing weather conditions in San Antonio can challenge autonomous vehicle technology.
Waymo’s rollout in San Antonio has also raised broader questions about how self-driving vehicles interact with emergency responders during severe weather and other emergencies.
Waymo began operations in San Antonio in February in a limited-service area covering 60 square miles of the city. The company also operates in 11 other cities around the country, including Austin, Dallas and Houston.
