Waymo Expands Service Suspension to Four Cities as Robotaxis Tackle Flooded Roads

Waymo has halted operations in four cities as its robotaxis struggle with heavy rainfall and flooded streets, prompting the company to issue a recall last week.

On Wednesday, a Waymo robotaxi was observed navigating a flooded street in Atlanta, Georgia, before it became stuck for about an hour, according to local news reports. Waymo confirmed to TechCrunch that the vehicle was eventually retrieved. The company has suspended service in Atlanta, similar to its approach in San Antonio, Texas, while seeking a solution.

“Safety is the top priority for Waymo, both for our riders and the wider community. During a heavy rainstorm yesterday in Atlanta, an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered a flooded area and came to a stop,” the company stated.

Waymo also temporarily paused operations in Dallas and Houston due to severe weather conditions affecting Texas this week, as the company informed TechCrunch late Thursday. This expansion was first reported by Bloomberg News.

A Waymo spokesperson mentioned that service was suspended in Dallas and Houston as a precaution, given the forecast of severe weather.

The company acknowledged that it had not finalized a “complete solution” to avoid flooded areas when it issued its software recall last week. Instead, it sent an update to its fleet with “restrictions at specific times and locations where there is an increased risk of encountering flooded, higher-speed roads,” according to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

However, these measures appeared inadequate to prevent the Waymo robotaxi from entering a flooded intersection in Atlanta. Waymo revealed to TechCrunch that the rain in Atlanta was so heavy that flooding occurred before the National Weather Service had issued any flash flood warnings, watches, or advisories. The company pointed out that such alerts are part of a comprehensive system it uses to prepare vehicles for adverse weather.

“NHTSA is aware of this incident, is in contact with Waymo, and will take necessary action if required,” a spokesperson for the safety regulator remarked to TechCrunch regarding the robotaxi incident in Atlanta.

This is not the first time Waymo has faced difficulties in addressing problematic behavior from its robotaxis. After concerns arose about robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses last year, the company implemented a fix—only for the fleet to continue executing illegal maneuvers around school buses.

Waymo’s handling of school buses is currently central to one of two ongoing investigations into the company.

Both the NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating this issue. Waymo has submitted a set of documents to the NHTSA, all redacted for public access. On May 15, the NHTSA requested additional documents from Waymo, stating that the company’s initial response “requires that [NHTSA] receive further data and information.”

The other investigation by the NHTSA and NTSB involves a January 23 incident where a Waymo robotaxi collided with a child in Santa Monica, California. Waymo indicated that its robotaxi slowed to around six miles per hour before hitting the child, who sustained minor injuries.

This story has been updated with further information regarding Waymo’s use of National Weather Service alerts, and to mention the new service pauses in Houston and Dallas.