Waymo Voluntary Recall (opens in new tab)

Having taken about three Waymo rides now, I will continue to. Lyft/Uber rides have become increasingly aggressive, the vehicles reek of cigarette smoke, the vehicles are harsh rides, driving styles vary widely and at times I find myself holding on for dear life.

The Waymo rides have been far more comfortable, and situationally aware. The vehicles even get over into the correct lanes far before they need to. Smooth braking, smooth acceleration, comfortable vehicles...

The TechCrunch article has a tiny bit more detail about improper prediction:

> * Peña wrote that one of Waymo’s vehicles came upon a backward-facing pickup truck being “improperly towed.” The truck was “persistently angled across a center turn lane and a traffic lane.” Peña said the robotaxi “incorrectly predicted the future motion of the towed vehicle” because of this mismatch between the orientation of the tow truck and the pickup, and made contact. The company told TechCrunch this caused minor damage to the front left bumper.*

Nice and reproducible behavior! This could’ve easily been done as a silent update, but Waymo continuing to be open about their safety is a good sign.

[1] https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/13/waymo-recall-crash-softwar...