Waymo robotaxi hit flooded Texas road. Are they safe in severe weather? - Waymo is recalling over 3,700 robotaxis due to a software issue affecting their response to flooded roads. - The recall was prompted after an unoccupied vehicle entered a flooded road in San Antonio, Texas. - Waymo's autonomous system uses cameras, radar, and lidar to navigate severe weather, but riders cannot override its actions. - A software update has been deployed to the affected vehicles to address the issue. More than 3,700 Waymo robotaxis are being recalled after a software issue raised questions about how autonomous vehicles respond in severe weather. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report published May 6 found that on high-speed roads, Waymo vehicles may slow when they detect a potentially untraversable flooded lane but do not fully stop. Waymo said it became aware of the issue on April 20 after an unoccupied vehicle entered a flooded roadway at about 40 mph in San Antonio, Texas. The company said the vehicle detected flooding but continued at a reduced speed. Now, the recall centers attention on how autonomous systems respond to severe or extreme weather, where conditions can obscure lanes and quickly change driving conditions. Are Waymo robotaxis safe in storms? Even in human-driven vehicles, severe weather creates operational challenges on the road and remains a leading contributor to crashes, accounting for roughly one in five incidents. Reduced visibility from fog, rain, snow or dust, along with sensor or windshield interference from droplets, ice or dirt, can obstruct perception, while slippery road surfaces can reduce traction and change braking performance. To address these conditions for robotaxis, Waymo’s self-driving system — known as the Waymo Driver — uses a combination of cameras, radar and lidar to perceive its environment, according to a 2022 article from Waymo's