Self-driving robotaxi company Waymo has paused operations in multiple cities across the U.S. due to difficulties navigating puddles.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Waymo has temporarily halted its robotaxi services in four major cities in the United States due to puddles. 📺 DETAIL: Waymo is the branch of Alphabet, parent company of Google, building self-driving robotaxis. The firm has temporarily halted robotaxi services in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio due to puddles created by rain and flooding. The weather conditions posed challenges for the vehicles’ navigation systems. The decision to halt robotaxi services follows a nationwide recall of approximately 3,800 Waymo vehicles due to their inability to handle flooded roads. The company issued the recall on Thursday and announced it would review the capabilities and limitations of the technology. The recall coincided with a viral video of a robotaxi failing to navigate a puddle in Austin, Texas, creating traffic problems. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “Safety is Waymo’s top priority, both for our riders and everyone we share the road with… During a period of intense rain… an unoccupied Waymo vehicle encountered a flooded road and stopped.” – Waymo statement. 🎯 IMPACT: Waymo’s recall raises concerns about the readiness of autonomous vehicles to handle certain weather conditions and everyday problems. This setback could decrease public confidence in self-driving technology or slow its broader adoption, especially in rainy climates. Waymo conducted test-runs of robotaxis in London earlier this year, and will compete with similar self-driving cars manufacturers, such as Baidu (a Chinese firm), Wayve (a British start-up), and even Uber. This is not the first time Waymo has faced scrutiny. Back in 2024, the company faced a federal investigation over safety issues posed by its robotaxis. Among other issues, at the time, the investigation cited more than 20 accidents, including incidents involving pedestrians. |
These Waymo videos always crack me up and now I’m forcing you to watch this one with me!
This Waymo pulls up, sees a little puddle, and straight-up says: “Yo, that’s a puddle up ahead… Bro, I’m stopping. I’m not going ANYWHERE. I’ll just chill right here till it subsides. Y’all… pic.twitter.com/Wd1Gn51JYu
— Desiree (@DesireeAmerica4) May 2, 2026
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.