Waymo issues recall after two of its driverless cars crashed into the same pickup truck within minutes

• Waymo has become the latest driverless car company to issue a recall.
• The company updated its software after two of its cars collided with the same pickup truck.

Waymo has become the latest driverless car company to issue a recall after two of its cars collided with the same pickup truck within minutes.

The Google-owned company issued a voluntary recall notice for self-driving software previously used by its fleet of driverless cars on Tuesday, following an incident in December that saw two of its vehicles "make contact" with a towed pickup truck.

According to a notice on Waymo’s website, the accident involved a pickup truck that was being towed backward by another vehicle — a configuration that the company said led Waymo’s software to "incorrectly predict" its movement.

As a result, one of Waymo’s driverless cars collided with the towed pickup truck, which the company said was being improperly towed, and "a few minutes later" another Waymo vehicle collided with it in the same way.

Neither of the Waymo vehicles were carrying passengers at the time. The crashes resulted in no injuries and only minor vehicle damage.

The firm said that it had deployed a software update to its fleet of vehicles in December to fix the issue, which was finalized by January 12. It concluded it was necessary to issue a voluntary recall notice following consultations with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Waymo has insisted that its driverless robotaxis, which have been operating paid 24/7 services in San Francisco since August 2023, are safer than cars with human drivers.

However, the latest incident shows just how difficult it can be to prepare autonomous vehicles to handle every possible scenario, regardless of how unpredictable.

Waymo and its rivals have faced backlash in recent months amid growing concerns over the safety of autonomous vehicles.

Cruise, Waymo’s main rival in San Francisco, was banned from operating in California and forced to recall its entire fleet of driverless cars last year after one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian 20 feet down the road after hitting them.

Waymo has fared better, but has still proven controversial among many San Francisco residents. One of its vehicles was set on fire over the weekend by a crowd during the city’s Lunar New Year celebrations.

Waymo and the NHTSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.