Amazon’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary Zoox has issued its second voluntary software recall in a single month, in response to an incident involving one of its robotaxis colliding with an e-scooter in San Francisco on May 8.
The collision involved an unoccupied Zoox vehicle traveling at low speed. According to Zoox, the robotaxi had stopped at an intersection to yield before it was struck by a person riding an e-scooter. Company officials reported that after the e-scooter rider fell beside the vehicle, the robotaxi began to move again, completing the turn and stopping shortly thereafter, without making further contact. Zoox confirmed that the rider sustained minor injuries and chose not to accept medical assistance at the scene.
Following the incident, Zoox swiftly implemented and deployed a software update specifically aimed at enhancing the vehicle’s perception system. The update is designed to bolster the software’s ability to track vulnerable road users more accurately and prevent unintended vehicle movements immediately after such interactions. The company stated that it has shared comprehensive data and video footage of the incident with regulatory authorities.
This latest recall follows closely behind another notable incident earlier in May involving approximately 270 Zoox robotaxis operating in Las Vegas. In that prior event, a Zoox vehicle collided with a passenger car, raising safety concerns over the vehicles’ ability to anticipate and respond to the movements of other road users. Industry observers stress that the repeated recalls shed light on ongoing challenges within the autonomous driving sector, particularly around accurately predicting and navigating complex, dynamic traffic conditions involving pedestrians and small mobility vehicles such as e-scooters.
The concern over robotaxis continuing to move after an incident is particularly acute given previous events involving similar autonomous services. Notably, Cruise, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary backed by General Motors, saw significant damage to its reputation after an incident in which one of its autonomous cars struck and dragged a pedestrian who had previously been knocked into the vehicle’s path by another car.
Zoox previously issued another software recall in March concerning sudden and unintended braking episodes. That recall, impacting about 258 vehicles, was prompted by two separate incidents in which motorcyclists collided with Zoox test vehicles after unexpected braking events.
While Zoox has provided basic details about this latest software update, the company has not disclosed how many robotaxis are affected this time or how the recent update differs specifically from the one issued earlier in the month. Regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been notified, and detailed investigations regarding both Zoox incidents are ongoing.
