Trending Now - Waymo Halts Robotaxi Operations in Multiple Cities Due to Floods
WHO:
BBC News - Waymo is the organization involved in the suspension of robotaxi operations.
WHAT:
BBC News - Waymo has expanded the temporary pause of its robotaxi service "out of an abundance of caution."
The Verge - Waymo has paused service in San Antonio due to lingering issues regarding flooded roads.
The Verge - Waymo's freeway trips were previously available only in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami.
Mashable - Waymo's vehicles were spotted driving through flooded roads at elevated speeds in Texas, prompting a software recall for its entire fleet.
Los Angeles Times - Waymo is updating its software to improve performance around construction zones and flooded roads.
Los Angeles Times - Waymo has collected 170 million autonomous miles, with 13 times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to human drivers on their routes.
Los Angeles Times - In 2025, Waymo recalled more than 1,200 vehicles due to a software defect resulting in minor crashes against obstacles in the road.
The Verge - Waymo has suspended freeway driving across all of its US markets due to concerns about construction zones.
The Verge - Waymo is currently providing about 500,000 rides a week, aiming to reach 1 million paid rides a week.
The Verge - Waymo is set to deploy a new vehicle, the Zeekr-built Ojai electric van, which will debut the company’s sixth-generation autonomous driving software.
Drudge Report - Waymo has suspended all freeway rides due to safety concerns.
BBC News - Waymo has paused its robotaxi service in five US cities.
Mashable - Waymo has suspended service in a few cities due to the cars driving into flooded roads.
WHERE:
Los Angeles Times - Waymo has paused operations in Atlanta after a vehicle stopped in flood water.
The Verge - Freeway trips were previously available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami.
BBC News - The suspension affects five US cities.
Mashable - The affected cities are located in the southern region of the United States.
WHY:
The Verge - Waymo spokesperson Chris Pappas stated that local road driving remains unaffected despite the suspension of freeway driving.
Los Angeles Times - The company is working to integrate recent technical learnings into its software and expects to resume freeway routes soon.
The Verge - Waymo spokesperson Chris Pappas stated that the decision to suspend freeway driving was made over concerns about construction zones.
BBC News - A Waymo spokesperson stated the pause was made "out of an abundance of caution."
Mashable - The cars do not know how to respond to flooded conditions.
HOW:
Los Angeles Times - In early May, about 3,800 of Waymo's autonomous taxis were recalled due to a software defect that caused some vehicles to drive into flooded roadways.
The Verge - Waymo issued a software recall for its entire fleet after several robotaxis were spotted driving through flooded roads at elevated speeds in Texas.
BBC News - The temporary pause in operations was expanded by Waymo.
(UPDATED May 23, 2026 19:17 UTC)
Waymo has expanded its temporary pause of the robotaxi service due to concerns over flooded roads, particularly in San Antonio, where the service has been halted entirely. This decision follows the recall of approximately 3,800 autonomous taxis earlier this month, which were found to have a software defect that caused some vehicles to drive into flooded areas. While freeway trips were previously available in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, a spokesperson confirmed that local road driving remains unaffected during this suspension.
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(UPDATED May 23, 2026 17:17 UTC)
Waymo is updating its software to enhance performance in construction zones and on flooded roads, following a recent incident in Atlanta where one of its vehicles stopped in flood water. The company has successfully collected 170 million autonomous miles, reporting 13 times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to human drivers, despite recalling over 1,200 vehicles in 2025 due to a software defect that caused minor crashes. Waymo is integrating its recent technical learnings into the software and anticipates resuming freeway routes in the near future.
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(UPDATED May 23, 2026 06:01 UTC)
Waymo has suspended freeway driving across all of its U.S. markets due to concerns about construction zones, as confirmed by spokesperson Chris Pappas. The company, which is currently providing about 500,000 rides a week and aims to reach 1 million paid rides weekly, has also issued a software recall for its entire fleet following reports of robotaxis driving through flooded roads at elevated speeds in Texas. In addition, Waymo is set to deploy a new vehicle, the Zeekr-built Ojai electric van, which will showcase the company’s sixth-generation autonomous driving software.
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(UPDATED May 22, 2026 23:20 UTC)
Waymo has announced the suspension of all freeway rides due to safety concerns. This decision was reported by the Drudge Report at 23:20 UTC. The company is prioritizing passenger safety as it reassesses its operations.
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(UPDATED May 22, 2026 19:30 UTC)
Waymo has announced a temporary suspension of its robotaxi service in five cities across the southern United States due to concerns about the vehicles navigating flooded roads. A spokesperson for Waymo explained that this decision was made "out of an abundance of caution," as the cars are not equipped to handle such conditions. The company has expanded this pause in operations to ensure the safety of its passengers and the public.