Waymo has temporarily halted its robotaxi services in four American cities due to challenges faced by its self-driving vehicles in heavy rain and flooded roads.
The company announced a suspension of services in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston in Texas, as well as in Atlanta, Georgia, following severe weather conditions. In Atlanta, reports indicated that a Waymo vehicle got stuck in a flooded street for about an hour before being rescued.
These incidents contribute to the ongoing scrutiny of Waymo’s autonomous driving technology, which has previously faced criticism for its response to unexpected road situations, such as difficulties in consistently reacting to stationary school buses.
US regulatory bodies, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating various aspects of Waymo’s autonomous driving systems, including past collisions and safety performance. In a recent incident on January 23, a Waymo robotaxi was involved in a minor accident with a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica.
While Waymo is temporarily reducing its operations in multiple cities, Tesla is planning to expand its robotaxi program. Elon Musk announced that Tesla aims to launch autonomous ride-hailing services in additional Texas cities, Dallas and Houston, after the initial rollout in Austin in 2025.
