Driverless Cars are Back on Highways: A Waymo Safety Update
At the end of July, 2026, Waymo resumed freeway rides in its major markets.
The driverless car company pulled its vehicles in June, after a series of construction zone navigation issues.
While Waymo’s Jaguar SUVs never left city streets, they’re now back on highways in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Miami.
Waymo’s Highway Construction Problem
In 2026, Waymo issued a voluntary recall covering nearly 3,900 SUVs in its Jaguar robotaxi fleet.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Waymo’s software repeatedly failed to recognize freeway construction zones and ramp closures.
What Went Wrong
According to the NHTSA filings (Recall No. 26E035), the ADS could enter and drive at speed through active freeway construction zones because it inappropriately prioritized avoiding other freeway hazards over recognizing the construction zone itself.
NHTSA noted this “increases the potential for collisions.”
Triggering Incidents
- April 11 & 19, 2026 (Phoenix, AZ): One event on April 11 and five more on April 19 in which Waymo vehicles failed to recognize ramp-closure signs and drove into pre-planned freeway construction zones.
- May 18, 2026 (San Francisco Bay Area): Seven Waymo vehicles entered active construction lanes by driving between cones marking a lane closure.
Recall Timeline
- April 20, 2026: Waymo’s Field Safety Committee began reviewing the Phoenix incidents and implemented freeway driving restrictions.
- May 19, 2026: Following the Bay Area incidents, the Field Safety Committee reinstated/continued freeway restrictions pending a deeper investigation into the cause.
- June 1, 2026: Waymo’s Safety Board reviewed the issue and requested more data.
- June 8, 2026: The Safety Board decided to file a voluntary recall.
- June 16–29, 2026: Waymo rolled out a software fix to all affected vehicles.
- June 25, 2026: Waymo began gradually resuming freeway operations.
The Fix to Improve Construction Zone Navigation
Waymo reps say a software update fixed the problem, helping its vehicles better navigate unexpected construction zones and emergency scenes on highways.
The software update:
- improved the vehicles’ ability to recognize construction zones…
- prioritized them over other freeway hazards…
- reduced speed when a construction zone is detected…
- improved response to emergency vehicles in those areas.
The company claims the fix was verified “through a rigorous combination of structured testing, simulation, and real-world driving with safety specialists present.”
Since Waymo owns its entire fleet, the software patch was pushed directly to all 3,871 potentially affected vehicles.
“Waymo’s mission is to be the world’s most trusted driver, and the data shows we are making roads safer in the cities we serve. We are welcoming riders on freeways again after implementing software updates to improve our performance around highway construction zones. We remain focused on operating responsibly to build a driver that communities trust and want on our roads.”
-Waymo Spokespoerson
Waymo’s Safety Record
Waymo claims its driverless vehicles are safer than those with humans behind the wheel.
This is data from its Spring 2026 safety report.
Miles driven by city:
- Phoenix: 80.6M miles
- San Francisco Bay Area: 67.1M miles
- Los Angeles: 51.8M miles
- Austin: 15.8M miles
- Atlanta: 5.4M miles
Waymo’s Safety Stats
Compared to human drivers covering the same distance in the same cities:
- 94% fewer serious-injury-or-worse crashes (47 fewer)
- 82% fewer crashes with any airbag deployment (305 fewer)
- 82% fewer crashes involving any reported injury (707 fewer)
Vulnerable road users saw even sharper reductions:
- 93% fewer injury-causing pedestrian crashes (76 fewer)
- 84% fewer injury-causing cyclist crashes (48 fewer)
- 84% fewer injury-causing motorcyclist crashes (32 fewer)
Where Waymo Operates
Waymo began its robotaxi service in Phoenix in November of 2025, before expanding to other major cities.
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Nashville, TN
- Orlando, FL
- San Antonio, TX
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Up Next for Waymo:
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Detroit, MI
- Denver, CO
- Las Vegas, NV
- London, UK
- Minneapolis, MN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Sacramento, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Seattle, WA
- St. Louis, MO
- Tampa, FL
- Tokyo, Japan
- Washington, DC
Waymo’s Next Generation
Waymo’s next phase of growth centers on the Ojai, its sixth-generation robotaxi.
Unlike previous Waymo vehicles that were retrofitted consumer cars, the Ojai was designed from the ground up as a rider-first vehicle, built by Zeekr and outfitted with Waymo’s autonomous driving hardware at the company’s Arizona factory.
The vehicle debuted with select riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, with free rides for a limited time, and features an expansive cabin with increased legroom, three large adaptive screens for rear passengers, charging ports, and cup holders.
Accessibility was a major design focus. The Ojai includes a flat floor, low step-in height, braille markings, and grab bars for riders with disabilities.
