Waymo robotaxis have been offering public rides in Austin, Texas since March, and following security incidents with college buses, Austin college district officers have requested the corporate to cease providing robotaxi rides throughout college drop-off occasions.
Now, regulators on the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) are investigating Waymo over complaints that its robotaxis have illegally handed college buses no less than 19 occasions, in response to Reuters.
The NHTSA despatched a letter to Waymo earlier this week informing the corporate in regards to the starting of its inquiry regarding its autonomous automobiles’ lack of ability to observe visitors legal guidelines regarding college buses. The letter additionally requested further details about the corporate’s self-driving system.
An preliminary investigation was opened into Waymo in October by the NHTSA’s Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) after it obtained video of a Waymo robotaxi driving round a faculty bus in Atlanta because the automobile was unloading schoolchildren with its cease signal prolonged and flashing lights on. Now the company goes even additional in its inquiry.
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Waymo mentioned it launched a software program repair to the problem on November 17. Nevertheless, in a public letter, the Austin Impartial College District says that 5 of the 19 college bus-related Waymo incidents occurred after that date.
“Considered one of these violations underscores the pressing threat posed by Waymo’s criminal activity: a Waymo automated automobile was recorded driving previous a stopped college bus solely moments after a scholar crossed in entrance of the automobile, and whereas the coed was nonetheless within the street,” the Austin College District wrote in a Nov. 20 letter to Waymo. “The automobile then proceeds by means of a cross stroll and an intersection, the place all different automobiles are stopped.”
The Austin College District requests that Waymo cease working its robotaxis from 5:20 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the hours when kids are usually being picked up and dropped off earlier than and after college.
The ODI despatched its personal letter to Waymo shortly after, letting the corporate understand it was conscious of the problem and inquiring if Waymo was planning to abide by the request to stop operations throughout these occasions.
In accordance with a report by TechCrunch, Waymo insists that its replace has improved its robotaxis’ street questions of safety round college buses. Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear to be the corporate plans to oblige the Austin College District’s request.
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