Waymo's autonomous taxis remain strangely drawn to floodwater
Waymo has suspended its robotaxi operations in Atlanta after one of its autonomous vehicles drove into floodwater and got stuck. This incident follows a similar occurrence in San Antonio, prompting a voluntary recall of nearly 4,000 vehicles. The company is working on software updates to improve the vehicles' ability to navigate challenging weather conditions safely.
- ▪Waymo's autonomous taxis were seen driving through a heavily flooded street in Atlanta.
- ▪The vehicle got stuck for around an hour before being recovered.
- ▪Waymo had previously suspended operations in San Antonio due to a similar incident involving floodwater.
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| Canonical URL | https://boingboing.net/2026/05/21/waymos-autonomous-taxis-remain-strangely-drawn-to-floodwater.html |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 19:23:32 +0000 |
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Waymo's autonomous taxis remain strangely drawn to floodwater Jason Weisberger 12:23 pm Thu May 21, 2026 Waymo (Iv-olga / Shutterstock.com) Somewhere inside the neural net is apparently a very determined salmon. Waymo has reportedly suspended robotaxi operations in yet another city after one of its autonomous vehicles drove directly into floodwater and got stuck, continuing the fleet's ongoing scientific inquiry into whether roads and rivers are, spiritually, the same thing. First reported by TechCrunch, the company has paused its operations in Atlanta after one of its self-driving vehicles was seen driving through a heavily flooded street, where it eventually got stuck for around an hour.
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