Amazon’s self-driving car unit Zoox is recalling 105 autonomous vehicles in the United States after its software failed to detect heavy smoke and drove into an active emergency scene.
The recall follows a June 20 incident in Las Vegas in which an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi encountered heavy smoke obscuring a fire scene, entered the area, braked hard, and stopped. No injuries were reported. Zoox notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the recall on July 8 and said a software update will enhance the vehicles’ ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke.
NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison documented multiple instances of robotaxis entering active emergency scenes in a recent letter. Last week, the agency’s leadership said driverless vehicle companies must quickly address a pattern of interference with first responders.