Zoox issues software recall over lane crossings
Amazon-owned Zoox issued a recall Tuesday over concerns its autonomous driving system caused vehicles to cross over the center lane line near intersections or block crosswalks. The voluntary recall of its software affected 332 vehicles, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
While there have not been any collisions associated with the issue, Zoox noted in the NHTSA filing that it could increase the risk of a crash. The company provides free rides to the public in its driverless Zoox vehicles in parts of San Francisco and Las Vegas.
A Zoox spokesperson told TechCrunch the company identified some instances in which its vehicles made maneuvers that, while common for human drivers, didn’t meet its standards. For example, in an effort to avoid blocking certain intersections at a red light, the robotaxi might stop in a crosswalk. In other instances, the robotaxi made a late turn, resulting in a wide turn, according to a spokesperson’s emailed statement.
The issue was initially identified on August 26 when a Zoox robotaxi made a wide right turn, crossed partially into the opposing travel lane, and temporarily stopped in front of the oncoming travel lane, according to the NHTSA filing.
Zoox monitored its data for additional lane crossings near intersections, ultimately identifying 62 instances between August 26 and December 5. The company said in the filing it was in “ongoing conversations with NHTSA about the frequency, severity, and root causes of these occurrences.”
The company updated its software on November 7 and again in mid-December to address all of the issues.
“We have successfully identified and deployed targeted software improvements to address the root causes of these incidents,” the statement reads. “Today, we’re submitting a voluntary software recall because transparency and safety is foundational to Zoox, and we want to be open with the public and regulators about how we are constantly refining and improving our technology.”
The software recall affected Zoox vehicles operating on public roads between March 13 and December 18, according to the filing.
Zoox has issued several software recalls this year, including one in March to address unexpected hard braking. That recall followed a preliminary investigation by NHTSA that was opened after the agency received two reports of motorcyclists colliding with the back of Zoox vehicles.
In May, Zoox filed two software recalls to address concerns about the system’s ability to predict the movement of other road users.
Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS Interactive.
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